Selling a house at auction

While selling property at auction may not suit every circumstance, thousands of homeowners across the UK are now choosing this method of sale — and for good reason. According to the Essential Information Group, 28,063 lots in the UK were sold by auction in 2024, a 10.6% rise on the previous year. In this guide, we’ll explore why selling a house at auction could be the right choice for you, and walk you through the step-by-step process so you know exactly what to expect.

What are the benefits of selling a house at auction?

Faster completion

One of the major advantages of selling at auction is speed. While a traditional Private Treaty sale (the most common method of selling a home, through an estate agent) takes 118 days to complete on average after being sold (according to TwentyEA SSTC to Completion data for January – August 2025), selling via Conditional Auction provides a fixed completion timescale of 56 days from receipt of draft contract.* If you’re selling via Traditional Auction, the exchange timescale is 28 days from receipt of draft contract*. At Andrews, we use both Traditional Auction and Conditional Auction (also known as the Modern Method of Auction) for our auction properties depending on the most appropriate route for you.

No sale, no fee

There’s nothing to pay if your property doesn’t sell at auction. You only pay an Auction Pack fee on completion. 

Optimised exposure

An attractive starting bid is set to drive interest from the outset. All offers are visible to all parties, creating a transparent and competitive environment that can drive up the final selling price.

Additional security

With auction, buyers must pay a non-refundable Reservation Fee or deposit to secure the property. This commitment is backed by a Reservation Agreement signed by the buyer that commits them to complete the purchase. This means that fall-through rates are less than 5% with auction, according to industry data. Compare that to the Private Treaty method of selling, which has an average fall-through rate of 27% (based on Andrews Property Group sales from 1st January 2025 to 14th August 2025). This means you can move forward with greater peace of mind.

*Based on standard property types

What is the process of selling a house at auction?

1.    Pricing strategy

To encourage as much interest as possible, your Auction Consultant will work closely with you to agree on the right pricing strategy for your property. This will include an undisclosed reserve price (the minimum price you’re obliged to accept for your property’s sale) and a starting price. The pricing strategy will be designed to help drive interest while ensuring you remain in control of the final outcome.

2.    Getting prepared

Your Estate Agent will support you with all the pre-auction preparations:

• Preparing the property details – this includes things like photographs and floorplans
• ID checks - ID verification is quick and easy and is a legal requirement for selling property
• Auction Pack - these packs contain important material information about your property that a potential buyer needs when deciding if they wish to place a bid
• Instruct a conveyancing solicitor – it’s recommended that you instruct a Solicitor before the auction starts. This can be the same conveyancer that produces your auction pack
• Management Pack - for leasehold properties, you might need to provide a Management Pack. This is available from the Freeholder or management agency, and they will be able to confirm any associated cost with you. The cost of this pack is payable by you, directly to the freeholder or management company.
• Property information questionnaire – you’ll need to complete your property information questionnaire to avoid any delays

3.    Immediate property marketing

Your property will be actively marketed whilst the auction pack is being created to help generate as much interest and as many viewings as possible. The more interest your property attracts, the greater the chance of competitive bidding which can drive up your property’s final selling price.

4.    Your auction launches

Once the Auction Pack is complete, your Auction Consultant will discuss the best timeframe with you. Together, you’ll agree on the auction’s start and end dates. When everything is in place, your property will go live on the auction platform and bidding can begin.

5.    Bidding

Interested parties will need to register to bid. Once their bidding registration is approved and the auction goes live, they’ll be able to place bids on your property. Typically, the auction will end when the auction timer expires. If a bid is placed within the final five minutes, the timer will automatically reset to five minutes to give everyone a chance to place their bid, and to encourage the best possible selling price for your property. The sale will only be agreed if a bid is received on or above your Reserve Price after the auction has ended.

6.    Your property has sold

The buyer will have either 28 or 56 days* from receipt of the draft contract to complete the purchase – depending on whether you’ve chosen to sell by Traditional Auction or Conditional Auction. In both cases, the buyer will have paid a Reservation Fee to reserve the property, so they’re fully committed to the purchase.

*Based on standard property types

7.    Next steps

Once your property has sold, our in branch teams will help to take the sale through to the final stage of the process, keeping you updated every step of the way until your completion is finalised.

Is selling a house at auction the right option for you?

If you’re looking for a sale with more security or need to sell quickly, then auction is certainly worth considering. Whether you're selling your first home or an investment property our expert, in-house team is here to guide you every step of the way. Not sure where to begin? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..