Doorsteps has a reputation for offering some of the lowest fees in the country when it comes to selling a property.
It’s founder, Akshay Ruparelia has made numerous media appearances since starting the company while still a teenager.
While Doorsteps has eventually moved to offering packages that include ‘full service’ elements you’d expect from an estate agent, they were initially focused on a DIY approach. Essentially they were just a way to get your property on the major portals, with most of the heavy lifting done by the seller.
What They Offer:
At the time of conducting our Doorsteps review we found their service consisted of the following:
- Free instant valuations
- A dedicated account manager
- Weekly reports (upon request)
- Advertising on Rightmove, Zoopla, and Primelocation
- Viewings and offers sent via text and email
- Full sales progression & negotiation service
Their cheapest package costs less than £100. But keep in mind that’s pretty much a DIY service as you’ll need to take photographs and write the description of your property yourself. They do, however, also offer a more standard package that you’d expect from an online estate agent. It’s priced pretty competitively too at around £600.
It should be noted that Doorsteps.co.uk do not offer any option to pay on completion.
All of their packages need paying for upfront. That means there will always be an element of risk when using them, however, that’s also why they can offer such low fees.
How It Works
The sales process when using Doorsteps is very similar to virtually every other online estate agent out there.
However, they do make it difficult on their website to see that you can book a free valuation. Most of the links lead you straight to choosing a package and paying for it before the valuation is conducted.
This might be fine if you’ve already had several valuations and have a pretty good idea of what you’re property is worth. But, if not, you’ll need to head to the ‘More’ option in the website navigation to find the link to book a free valuation.
Once that’s been done you’ll have to choose from the available packages and add-on any extra services you require such as a For Sale board, EPC, or hosted viewings. This will then trigger a visit from a local agent to take photographs and measure up for your floorplan, etc (unless you’ve settled on the DIY option).
Once that’s done you can usually expect your listing to go live within 24 hours and your dedicated account manager will let you know as and when viewing requests and offers start coming in. You can also monitor things from an online portal. Once you have accepted an offer, the sales progression team will take over to help ensure it all goes smoothly.
Advantages of Doorsteps
Here are some of the key advantages we’ve discovered about Doorsteps
Low Price
This service is incredibly cheap, even when compared to online estate agents.
Reasonably Priced Add Ons
If you’re not sure that the base package is for you, you can be assured of reasonably priced add ons. There are three upgrade packages that add interesting features without breaking the bank.
Superb Customer Support
There is not only a comprehensive FAQ page on the website but also customer support 24/7. You can access the support team through the hotline at any time, any day, or via email. There is also the option to request a call back.
Straightforward Process
Doorsteps has made the home selling process as simple as possible. With just a few clicks, you can list your home and start attracting buyers. This creates a transparent, honest, and hassle free way to sell your home with no strings attached.
Disadvantages of Doorsteps
As with any platform, there are some potential downsides to Doorsteps. These include:
Budget Price May Be Viewed as Budget Service
The budget price structure may also be viewed as a potential negative. There is a possibility buyers may view the use of a “cheap” agency as a lack of your commitment to selling your property.
Initial Valuation Inaccuracy
The initial valuations are not based on a physical home visit. So, there is a potential for inaccuracy.
Standard Package Lacks Some Essentials
While you can “add on” to the standard package, there are some essentials missing from this base package. For example, a For Sale board is an optional extra, and you need to upgrade to the Pro package to get a full property description. If you want a full service package, you will need the premium package, which has a price similar to standard online agents.
The History
Doorsteps.co.uk has a very interesting history. It was founded in 2016, by Akshay Ruperelia, who was only 17 and still actually in sixth form. He was inspired to set up his online estate agency after he read a biography of Michael O’Leary, the founder of Ryanair.
Akshay found that conventional estate agents were charging exorbitant prices yet failed to deliver a high standard of service. Realising this, Akshay borrowed £7,000 fro his family to set up Doorsteps and establish the Doorsteps.co.uk website.
The Doorsteps team set out to create a world where it is possible to sell your home for less than £100 from the comfort of your own home.
Doorsteps aimed to make the home selling process as straightforward, simple, and transparent as possible. This would allow homeowners a no strings way to sell their home without breaking the bank.
With some early success, Akshay and the Doorsteps team raised an additional £400,000 through a crowd funding website. This investment allowed the company to grow rapidly, and today Doorsteps is estimated to be worth more than £12 million.
This has meant that despite its relatively new entry into the marketplace, Doorsteps has grown into one of the largest online estate agencies in the UK, and it looks set to continue its impressive growth.
How Do They Use PropTech?
The PropTech all comes in to play once you get access to the online portal. From there you can manage your listing and keep a track of everything. However, it’s perhaps not quite as advanced as some online agents as Doorsteps prefer to keep as much of the human element as possible.
Doorsteps Reviews
Doorsteps benefit from some really positive customer reviews on independent review sites. Perhaps the only negative is that, as they are not as well-known as some of their competitors, they don’t have quite as many reviews. Of the reviews that are more negative in nature, several of them mention the simplicity of the online portal to manage listings as a disappointment.