Home sellers in the borough can now take advantage of a brand new online service that lets them sell their home for as little as £995 in fees.

Estate agent Bairstow Eves, which has been around for more than 100 years and has over 100 branches across the UK, has introduced the new service which lets people manage some, or all, of the sales process themselves online.

The ‘hybrid’ service gives people a choice between a complete DIY option to picking between different levels of support offered by the experienced staff based within the Bairstow Eves branches, for example accompanying potential buyers on viewings or negotiating the sales price.

Bairstow Eves is part of the nation’s largest estate agency group, Countrywide, which sold more homes than any other agent in the UK last year. Explaining why Bairstow Eves has introduced the new service, Countrywide Director, Shane Ballard, said: “We know that some people, especially those who have experience selling online or working in the property sector, are keen to see if they can manage the sales process for themselves.

“We’ve taken the risk out of it for people who do want to try it. The main advantage we have over our competitors is that you won’t lose out if you find you need a little more help along the way. If you need to upgrade and take advantage of the support we can offer in our branches, we take the money you have already paid into account. To us, it’s not just about marketing or putting something on a website; it’s about helping people to sell their homes.”

Online sales account for less than 4% of the total housing sales market in the UK - so the majority of people still prefer to deal with a high street brand they trust and with people who have knowledge of the local property market.

Shane adds: “This is about catering for everyone – whether you want to sell your house online and manage the process yourself; whether you want the support of experienced staff for the more time-consuming or complex parts of the sale; or whether you prefer to deal with a trusted high street agent to manage the whole process – we’ve got it covered.”

Anyone interested in finding out about the new service can pop in for a cuppa and an informal chat with staff at their local Bairstow Eves branch, or visit www.bairstoweves.co.uk/sell-your-home for more information.