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The Secure Bid.

Through our partners at Town and Country Property Auctions, using the modern method of auction. The winning buyer pays a 10% deposit that commits them from the moment the hammer falls. A reserve price protects your floor, the buyer pays the fee rather than you, and completion is fixed at 28 or 56 days. For the right property it often nets more than a straight cash sale, with far more security than a private listing.

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Bust the myth

Auction does not mean a fire sale.

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Your floor is protected

You set a confidential reserve with the auctioneer. If bidding does not reach it, the property does not sell. You are never forced to accept a price you did not agree to.

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The buyer is committed

When the hammer falls the buyer pays a 10% deposit and is contractually locked in. If they walk away, you keep the deposit. That is a world away from a private buyer who can change their mind for free.

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Competition drives the price

Bidders push against each other in the open. For homes with broad appeal, that competition often lifts the final figure above what a single cash offer would ever reach.

The process

From valuation to completion in five steps.

We manage the whole thing alongside the auction team, so you always know what happens next.

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Valuation and reserve

We assess the property with the auction team and agree a realistic guide price and a confidential reserve that protects your floor.

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Marketing and viewings

The property is listed across the major portals and the auction platform, with viewings arranged to build a pool of committed bidders.

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The auction runs

Bidding takes place online over a set window. Buyers compete openly, and you watch the figure move in real time.

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Buyer locked in

The winning bidder pays a 10% deposit and is committed. Pull out and they forfeit it to you.

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Complete in 28 or 56 days

A fixed completion window gives both sides a firm date to work towards, and the money reaches you on the day.

The honest comparison

Auction against the other two routes.

Different jobs. Cash is the fastest and most certain. Auction trades a little speed for the chance of a higher figure, while still locking your buyer in. The open market can reach the highest price, but nothing is guaranteed.

What matters	Guaranteed cash sale	Sell by auction	Open market
Speed to complete	14 to 28 days possible	28 or 56 days, fixed	3 to 9 months
Certainty of sale	Committed once you accept	Buyer locked in by 10% deposit	Never certain until concluded
Price versus market	Below open-market value, with no fees to pay	Often more than a straight cash sale	Highest potential price
Who pays the fee	We cover every fee	The buyer pays the auction fee	Solicitor and home report costs
Your floor protected	Fixed agreed offer	Confidential reserve price	No floor, price can drift
Viewings	None	Some, during marketing	Many, over weeks or months
Chain risk	None. Funding is in place	Very low, deposit held	High, chains can break
Best for	Deadlines and total certainty	Homes with broad buyer appeal	Patient sellers chasing top price

Every route is real and honest. We never claim the best price and the fastest sale in the same breath, because no single route can offer both.

Questions

Auction questions, answered straight.

No, and that is the biggest myth about it. The modern method of auction is used for all sorts of ordinary homes, from family houses to flats to investment properties. A confidential reserve protects your floor, so you are never forced into a low price. Many sellers choose auction precisely because it can draw competing bidders and lift the final figure.

The winning bidder pays a 10% deposit that commits them the moment the hammer falls. If they walk away, they forfeit that deposit to you. That is a far stronger position than a private sale, where a buyer can change their mind at no cost and leave you back at square one.

On the modern method of auction the buyer pays the fee, not you. That is one of the reasons it can be an efficient route for sellers. We will always set out the full picture with the Town and Country Property Auctions team before you commit to anything.

A cash sale is faster, in around 14 to 28 days, and far more certain because we are the buyer. Auction takes 28 or 56 days but opens the door to competing bidders, which for the right property often nets more. We will value your home for both and show you the honest numbers side by side.