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Quick sale options

Need to sell your house fast in Dumfries & Galloway? Here are your three routes.

The open market, auction or a cash investor. Each one trades price for speed in a different way. I'll talk you through all three, show you the figures and fees up front, and tell you which one I'd choose in your position.

  • One conversation covers all three options
  • Every fee shown before you commit to anything
  • You deal directly with me, from the first call onwards
Duncan Ure, estate agent in Dumfries and Galloway
Duncan UreDirector, Compass Estates · Castle Douglas

Talk through your options

Send your details and I'll call you back to talk about your property and timescale.

By sending this form you agree to me contacting you about your property. See my privacy policy. I reply to every enquiry within one hour during office hours (Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm, Sat 9am to 1pm).

Your options

Three ways to sell quickly, side by side

No route is right for everyone. The best one depends on how soon you need the money, the condition of your home and how much of its value you're prepared to give up for speed.

Route one

Open market with me

Best for getting the highest price when you have some time to play with.

  • Home Report arranged first. It usually takes one to two weeks to come back.
  • Live on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket with professional photography, drone footage and a video tour.
  • Offers over and a closing date create competition between buyers.
  • On a simple sale, missives can be concluded within one to two weeks of an accepted offer.
Price
Full market value, set by buyer demand
Speed
Depends on price, condition and time of year. I won't guess a figure before I've seen your home.
Fee
No sale, no fee commission plus an upfront marketing fee, agreed in writing

Route two

Auction

Best for a fixed timescale and a committed buyer, particularly for homes that need work.

  • Sold through a Scottish property auction house I work with.
  • The winning bidder pays a deposit, so the buyer is committed.
  • Settlement within 28 days of the auction.
  • Usually quicker than a standard open market sale.
Price
Set by the bidding on the day
Speed
Usually quicker than the open market, with 28 days to settlement
Fee
The auction house sets out its fees to you in writing. It pays me a referral fee, shown below.

Route three

Cash investor

Best when speed and certainty matter more than price, or the property would be hard to mortgage.

  • Sold off market to a cash buyer. No public listing, no viewings from the general public.
  • Offers are typically 70% to 85% of market value.
  • No chain, and the buyer doesn't need a mortgage.
  • Buyers are investors I deal with directly, or investors introduced through sourcing agents I work with.
  • I act for you as your selling agent throughout. Your details aren't shared with the buyer or sourcing agent.
Price
Typically 70% to 85% of market value
Speed
Often weeks rather than months, depending on the buyer and both solicitors
Fee
1.5% + VAT of the sale price, minimum £2,000 + VAT
Open market, auction and cash investor sales compared
At a glanceOpen marketAuctionCash investor
PriceFull market valueSet by the biddingTypically 70% to 85% of market value
SpeedVaries by property and seasonUsually quicker, 28 days to settlement after the auctionOften weeks rather than months
CertaintyBinding once missives are concludedBuyer pays a deposit when an offer is acceptedNo chain and no mortgage to fall through
MarketingRightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and social mediaRightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and social mediaNone. Sold privately.
How I'm paidNo sale, no fee commission plus a marketing feeReferral fee from the auction house1.5% + VAT from you, minimum £2,000 + VAT

The cost of speed

What a cash offer looks like on a £150,000 home

A cash sale on a home worth £150,000 means accepting somewhere between £105,000 and £127,500. That's £22,500 to £45,000 below its open market value, before my fee and your solicitor's costs.

For some people that's a price worth paying: a broken chain, an executry that needs settling, a property a lender won't touch. For others, a few more weeks on the open market is worth tens of thousands. Either way, you should see the figures before you decide, not after.

Illustrative example only. Your own figures depend on your property's market value and the offers it attracts.

When speed matters

Situations where a quick sale makes sense

An inherited property

An executry to settle, a house sitting empty, and costs mounting while it waits.

Moving for work

A start date that won't wait for a long marketing period.

A chain that has broken

Your onward purchase is at risk and you need a buyer who can commit.

A property that needs work

Repairs you can't or don't want to take on before selling.

Separation or divorce

A shared home that needs a clean, timely sale.

A tenant in situ

A let property you want to sell with the tenancy still running.

Tenancy complications

A tenant who has stopped paying rent, or a tenancy that has become difficult to manage.

Already on the market

Months with another agent, few viewings and no offers.

How it works

From first call to your chosen route

  1. Send your detailsUse the form or call me on 01556 509 290.
  2. We talk it throughYour property, your timescale and what matters most to you.
  3. I value your homeA desktop valuation first, so every option starts from a market value. In person if you choose the open market.
  4. You choose a routeWith the figures and fees for each one set out in writing.

Selling in Scotland

What's different about a quick sale here

Many quick sale websites use English property terms. The Scottish process is different, and it affects how fast any route can move.

Home Report

A Home Report is needed before a home is marketed for sale, and it can't be more than 12 weeks old when marketing begins. For an auction or an off-market sale, the auction house or your solicitor will confirm what your property needs. Home Report costs explained.

Missives

An accepted offer isn't binding in Scotland until the missives are concluded between the two solicitors. This is the stage where a sale can drift if nobody is chasing it.

Settlement

Settlement is the day funds move and keys change hands. It's a date agreed in the missives. At auction, it's within 28 days.

Your own solicitor

Whichever route you take, you choose your own solicitor. There's no requirement to use a tied legal service.

Fees and referrals

How I'm paid on each route

You should know exactly who pays me and how much before you decide. Here it is in full.

Open market

No sale, no fee

Commission is only charged when your home sells. An upfront marketing fee covers the photography, drone footage, video and floor plans. Both are agreed in writing before I start. Estate agent fees in Scotland.

Auction

Referral fee from the auction house

Usually 1% of the sale price, with a minimum of £1,500. It can vary with the individual sale.

Cash investor

1.5% + VAT, minimum £2,000 + VAT

Paid by you, calculated on the agreed sale price. I act for you as your selling agent, not for the buyer. I don't take a referral fee from the investor or sourcing agent, and your details aren't shared with them.

What sellers say

5.0 stars on Google

★★★★★
After a year with another agent with no results, switching to Compass Estates was the best decision we made. Duncan got people through the door, kept us informed throughout, and we had two offers on the same day.
Deb DawkinsLockerbie
★★★★★
His experience and knowledge of the market was demonstrated well by having our property sold within three weeks.
KayleighCastle Douglas
★★★★★
For weeks we had a few viewings, no offers. Far better marketing, far better pictures. After two weeks Duncan had more viewings and then an offer.
LornaLochfoot

Extracts from full Google reviews.

Questions

Selling your house fast: common questions

Offers are typically between 70% and 85% of your home's open market value. Where yours falls depends on its condition, location and how easily the investor can let or resell it. You'll see the offer in writing before anything is agreed.
It depends on the route. At auction, the buyer pays a deposit and settlement follows within 28 days. A cash investor sale often takes weeks rather than months, depending on the buyer and both solicitors. On the open market, timing depends on price, condition and the time of year. How long a sale takes, stage by stage.
You need a Home Report before a home is marketed for sale on the open market. For an auction or an off-market sale to an investor, the auction house or your solicitor will confirm what's required for your property.
The auction house sets out its own fees to you in writing before you commit. Separately, it pays me a referral fee, usually 1% of the sale price with a minimum of £1,500.
1.5% + VAT of the sale price, with a minimum of £2,000 + VAT. I don't take a referral fee from the buyer's side.
You. I act as your selling agent throughout, and your details aren't shared with the buyer or sourcing agent.
Yes. A let property can be sold with the tenancy still running. I'll talk you through which route suits your situation.
No. Talking through your options is free and there's no obligation to go ahead with any route.
Yes. Whichever route you take, you choose your own solicitor.
All of Dumfries & Galloway, from Stranraer and the Machars to Annan, Lockerbie and Langholm.

Areas covered

Quick sale advice across Dumfries & Galloway

Whether you need to sell your house fast in Dumfries, Stranraer, Castle Douglas or anywhere in between, the same three routes apply.

Not in a hurry? See how I sell on the open market, or book a free valuation.

No pressure, no obligation

Not sure which route is right for you?

Let's talk it through. Send your details or call me, and I'll set out the figures for each option.

Request a call back Call 01556 509 290 Book a free valuation

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