Frequently
Asked Questions and Answers
Here are explanations for some of the questions that you may
have about HouseWeb's property service.
Choose a Category
Section 1 - Overview
How
much money can I save?
Customers are saving an average of £4,500. However, it could be a lot
more depending on the price of your property and the commission your
local estate agent would charge you. To find out exactly how much you
could save, click
here to try HouseWeb's
Savings Calculator.
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How
much does it cost to advertise my property?
Our "Standard"
package costs £47. Our "Deluxe" package costs £129 which
includes your property being advertised on many partner websites like
Fish4, Channel4 and many more. We also offer
an all-inclusive "Platinum" package at £199 which includes the multi-list on
partner websites, a For Sale Board, 20 photos and a special 0870 number for your enquiries. Please click
here to view the different advertising packages. There is no
commission and nothing to pay when the property is sold. No time limits,
no hidden costs and VAT is included.
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Is
HouseWeb an estate agent?
No. HouseWeb is a publisher, which means you can advertise your property
with an estate agent and HouseWeb at the same time without conflicting
with your agent's contract. Why
is this?
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Can
I use HouseWeb and an estate agent?
Yes. If you sell through HouseWeb you won't have to pay your estate agent
their commission. For more information please click
here.
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Should
I tell my estate agent?
It's a good idea. We recommend that you agree in advance with your
agent that they cannot charge commission if you sell privately and have
this written into the terms of your agency contract. This will avoid any
misunderstanding over commission at a later date.
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What
about Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)?
All properties require a
EPC. Check out our EPC
Guide.
We have
teamed up with a leading national EPC supplier.
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Section 2 – Submitting a
property
How
do I submit a property?
Click on "sell your home" in the navigation bar and then
"submit property" in the sub-menu. Register or sign in if you
are already registered. Next, select where you property is based on the
map. You will then be taken to the "Submit a Property" page.
Complete the advertising form, filling in the required fields as a
minimum. You can add or edit any details after submitting. When you have
filled out the form click on the "Submit my Property"
button. Your property will only be submitted to HouseWeb at this point.
You should then see an acknowledgement page with a property ID. number
if your property was successfully posted. After payment is received your
advert will be checked by us prior to appearing live on the site.
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Why
do I need a For Sale Board?
Combining a "For
Sale" sign with your Internet marketing can help increase the
chances of selling your property by up to 60%. Research has shown that
properties with For Sale signs can sell up to twice as quickly.
This professionally and
personally-designed colour sign offers the following benefits:
- Attracts local and non-internet
house-hunters.
- Private Enquiry Service – A unique
0870 phone number which keeps your personal telephone number private.
You can opt to have all enquiries redirected to your landline number
or go to 0870 voicemail (which are e-mailed to you as a sound file).
You can also use this number on your web advert.
- Alternatively you can have your mobile
number printed on the board.
- Personalised
with your property
number to ensure people find your property fast on HouseWeb.
- Double-sided for maximum impact.
- Waterproof, high-quality material -
similar to an estate agent's sign.
- Comes complete with assembly
instructions (excluding the post).
- Delivered to your door, by Royal Mail.
(Please allow up to 7/10 working days).
- Meets the regulation "For
Sale" board size (815mm * 610mm).
- Price includes VAT, postage and
packaging.
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How
do I pay for my advert?
You can pay online by credit
card, fax
or by sending a cheque to:
HouseWeb
Customer Services
PO Box 122
ROYSTON
SG8 8YD
UK
If
you prefer you can also contact Customer Services direct on 0845 003
0720 during office hours (9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday) and pay over
the phone.
For
more information on how to pay and to pay by phone please click
here.
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Do
I have to use my real name?
No. Even if you use your real name when you register (which we
recommend), you do not have to use your real name when you submit a
property. The advert will simply publish whatever you put in the field.
If you feel more comfortable, you can use a nickname or pseudo name.
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Are
my personal details secure?
Yes, we never pass on your details to other companies, our systems
are secure and we only display the telephone numbers you choose. We
never display your email address. To see our privacy policy, just click
here.
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What
should I put in the "Property Description" box?
Please describe the property with as much detail as you can, remember
that you have a maximum of 6000 characters available. For readability,
ensure you use headings, line and paragraph breaks. Try to mention the
different rooms and features in and around your property. You may want
to mention about the locality. Also, take a look at some other adverts
if you need ideas of what else to add. More help on property
descriptions is available on the form when submitting your property.
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Why
didn't my advert show up?
If you have just submitted your advert, it will not be live on the site
until we have received payment. You can still modify it however by
logging into MyHouseWeb.
If your advert has already been turned live, you may find that either
you were in the wrong section or you specified search criteria that
don't appear in your advert. If so, please verify that you are in the
correct section and then broaden your search by leaving more of the
search field's blank.
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I
can't find my advert on external sites?
(Please note: We find that 99% of all these queries are due to
a customer using the search facility incorrectly on the external site!
If you are having trouble finding your property, please ensure you are
searching correctly.)
Firstly,
check to make sure that the
package you have purchased includes the marketing of your property
on external sites. If it does not, you can upgrade your package here.
Secondly, please check your advert details are correct. Your property
will be rejected on external sites if you have done any of the following
in your advert:
- Included any text
(other than a currency symbol) in the price field
- Put your contact
details in the Property Description box
- Provided a partial or
incorrect post code
If
you have only recently submitted or modified your advert, please allow
up to 72 hours for your advert to reach external sites (usually quicker,
but please allow this amount of time). If you wish to check, please only
check sites such as Fish4 first. Some of the sites we
send your property details to then have to add it to additional sites
they work with. As a result this can take up to an additional 72 hours
for this to happen. Please be patient before contacting Customer
Services. If you really do feel there is an issue, please use the
contact form in My HouseWeb giving as much details as possible and we
will investigate for you.
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What
about photos?
Photos are the most important part of your advert. It's the first
thing people look at and makes or breaks whether they read on. Bad
photos are worse than no photos, so make sure your pictures really do
your property justice or they won't sell your home.
Here
are some simple tips for taking the best photos:
Exterior:
This
should be the main photo of your advert. If you use an interior photo,
people will assume that the front of the property doesn't look good.
- Take photos on a sunny
day. If the sun has gone on holiday, put up the best photo you can
now and replace it with a brighter one on a clear day.
- Don't forget the
garden! If you have a photo with everything in bloom, even better.
Interior:
- Make sure the rooms are
free of clutter. The room should look ready for a viewing.
- Ensure curtains are
open.
- Turn on any lights to
add brightness to the room.
- Use the flash to add
light, but avoid pointing your camera directly at a window as your
image will turn out darker.
- Take photos during the
daytime
It is also good to ask a friend which photos they like the
best - an independent eye can help.
How many?
We recommend at least 6, but the more the better. As a bare minimum you
should have:
- Front of the property
- Kitchen
- Main Bathroom
- Main Bedroom
- Living Room
- Dining Room (if
applicable)
- Garden (if you have
one)
For
larger houses, you should also take photos of additional bedrooms,
offices, summer house and any other selling features such as gym,
swimming pool, sauna etc.
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How
do I add or change photos on my advert?
Once you have submitted your property, you are given the option of adding
photos to your advert. You have two options:
1)
If you have the photos electronically (e.g. scanned photo or digital
camera picture), you can add them to your advert in MyHouseWeb, using
the Add photos link. They will in turn be approved by Customer Services
within 24 hours..
- Sign in with your email and password
-
Click on Add Photos
- Add each photo individually (they will appear on the bottom
waiting to be approved)
2)
If you only have printed photos of your property and do not have access
to a scanner, we can scan them for you, please write your advert number
on the back of each photo and send them (with an stamp-addressed
envelope if you want them returned) to:
HouseWeb
Customer Services
PO Box 122
ROYSTON
SG8 8YD
UK
You
can add, sort or change photos at any time in "My
HouseWeb".
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How
many photos can I display?
Different advertising packages
allow you to add a different number of
photos. To find out which package is most suitable for you, please view
the Advert Features
and Pricing chart. You can also purchase additional photos for £10
each or a set of 10 photo with our photo pack at £59..
We
recommend displaying as many photos as possible as 98% of buyers have
stated that they are the most important aspect of the advert when
looking at a property.
Your
main photo will be displayed at the top of your advert. Additional
photos are displayed in their own window when a buyer clicks on the
"More Photos" link.
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HELP!
I am having problems adding a photo to my advert.
The
Image Requirements
The
image type must be in .JPG or .GIF format (JPG (or JPEG) is the norm
for photos). Make sure your image isn't too large (over several Mb). If
your photo dimensions (pixels) are very large, they will be
automatically scaled down to fit your advert when you add them.
Depending on the size of your photo and the speed of your Internet
connection, it may take a minute or two to add your image. If all else
fails, you can email them to us at info@houseweb.co.uk
with your advert number.
If
you are using a PC, you can find out the file size of your image is by
locating it on your computer, right-clicking on the image and selecting
"Properties".
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What
do I do if my photo image is too big?
Method
1 (recommended)
Reduce
your image quickly by using Image
Optimizer. Once you image is optimised, save it to your computer and
add it in My HouseWeb.
Method
2
1.
Within your imaging software such as Paint, Photoshop, PaintShop etc,
open up your saved image file.
2.
Go to the help option on the tool bar.
3.
Within the help option you should be able to search for
"pixels".
4.
The results of the search should list how to resize in pixels. If your
photo is larger than 800*600 pixels, try resizing it to 800 pixels on
the longest length, remembering to keep the proportions (there should be
a checkbox option to keep proportions). Also, you can try cropping your
photo to remove any unnecessary borders - this will also reduce the file
size.
5.
Save your new image into a folder/memorable location on disc or your pc.
6.
Go to the My HouseWeb
page
- Sign in with your email and password.
- Click on 'Add Photos'.
- Add each one in turn (They will appear at the bottom of the
screen under "Photos Awaiting Approval")
- If the order of the photos is not as you would like to see
them you can sort them by using the Up and Down arrow once they have
been approved.
A
message will say whether your image has been added successfully.
If
you receive an error message, this means that your photo upload has been
unsuccessful. Please refer to the notes above.
Should
you still have problems, please contact us at info@houseweb.co.uk
or call 0845 003 0720 during office hours.
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I've
added my photos - Why are they not showing with my advert?
All photos have to be approved by HouseWeb before they appear on the
advert. Please allow one working day for this. It could also be that
your photos did not upload properly. If you cannot see it in
"photos awaiting approval" in MyHouseWeb, then you will need
to try again or email them to HouseWeb Customer Services.
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Do
I need a Home Information Pack?
Yes. Check out our HIP Guide.
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Section
3 – Searching for a property
How
do I search for a property?
By clicking on "search property" in the navigation, you will
see a number of options, such as "For Sale" and "To
Rent". If you click on one of these links, you will then be taken
to the front page of that section, where you can search for properties
within that section.
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Why
didn't my search turn up any matches?
Your search criteria may have been too narrow. Go back to the search form
and leave more of the search fields blank, or click on the "New
Search" button and do a general search. For the broadest possible
search, simply click on the "See All Ads" button.
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How
do I navigate the search results page?
You can quickly re-sort your results in different ways by clicking on the
category headers at the top of the results i.e. Town/City, Price,
Borough. To see more of your search results, you can click on the
"View the Next 10 Properties" button beneath the table or use
the navigation bar beneath this button.
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How
do I see the full details for a particular ad?
Simply click on the
"Full Details" link or the photo.
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How
do I contact someone about a particular property?
At the bottom of the advert
you will see the "Contact Information" section. If the vendor
has chosen to display their telephone number(s) it will be listed here.
Alternatively, click on the "Send an Enquiry" link and you
will be presented with an enquiry form. Fill this out and your message
will be e-mailed to the vendor. Should you wish to be contacted by
phone, please put your telephone number with your message.
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Section
4 – Using MyHouseWeb (Useable once you have an advert with HouseWeb).
My
e-mail address has changed. What do I need to do?
You continue to sign in to MyHouseWeb with your original email and
password. You will need to change your email in the contact field of
your advert to your new one to ensure you continue to receive enquiries
as well as communication from HouseWeb.
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I've
forgotten my password. How do I sign in?
If you ever forget your password, at the sign-in screen, you can click on
the "Forgot Your Password?" button. When the next screen comes
up, enter your user name on the form and click on the "Submit
Search" button. The script will e-mail your password to the e-mail
address that you used when registering your account.
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Are
my sign in details case-sensitive?
No. Your sign in details are not case-sensitive.
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How
do I renew my ad?
Simply go to your "My
HouseWeb" page,
- Sign in with your email and password
- Click on Renew Now.
- Your property will now be renewed on HouseWeb for another 30
days.
Your
property can only ever be renewed for 30 days from the date of renewal.
For example, imagine your property was due to expire on 31st January.
You decide to renew your property on the 21st January when there are 10
days remaining. Your property will only be renewed for 30 days form the
21st January (and will now expire on 20th February)
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Why
do I have to renew my property every 30 days?
Your property will remain on the site until sold, but we ask that you
renew your advert, Free of Charge every 30 days in order to keep
our site up-to-date. This ensures you do not receive enquiries when your
property is no longer available and none of us are wasting potential
buyer's time. We all know how much effort and energy goes in to looking
for property and our service to buyers needs to be of the highest
standard.
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How
do I make changes to my advert?
Simply go to your "My
HouseWeb" page,
- Sign in with your email and password
- Click on Edit Advert.
- Do all the changes you need and remember to click on
"Submit Modification" to save all the changes.
- Any changes to your advert will take effect immediately on
HouseWeb but may take up to two working days to show on other sites.
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What
do I need to do with my HIP?
All you need to do once you receive the information, is to re-create
the graph from the Energy Performance Certificate on your advert. You do
this in MyHouseWeb by entering the four numbers. Then you need to make
the complete HIP available to serious prospective buyers if requested.
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What
happens when my property is Under Offer or Sold?
Once you have accepted an offer, you will need to instruct a solicitor to
deal with the legal side of selling a property.
You
should also change the heading on your advert from "For Sale"
to "Under Offer" or "Sold"
To
do so simply go to your "My
HouseWeb" page,
- Sign in with your email and password
- Click on Edit Advert.
- Do all the changes you need and remember to click on
"Submit Modification" to save all the changes.
- Any changes to your advert will take effect immediately on
HouseWeb but may take up to two working days to show on other sites.
Once
your property is sold, you will need to delete your advert from the
site. To do so simply go to your "My
HouseWeb" page,
- Sign in with your email and password
-
Click on Delete Advert.
- Please note that this action is irreversible
- Your advert will be deleted immediately from HouseWeb but can
take a couple of days before stopping to appears on external sites.
You
cannot delete a property that you did not submit.
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I
have feedback or another question not covered here.
Please
e-mail us at this address - sales@houseweb.co.uk
or call Customer Services on 0845 003 0720 (during office hours). We'd
love to hear from you!
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