How Much Does Purple Bricks Charge?

Who Are Purplebricks?

Founded in 2014, Purplebricks is the UK’s largest and best-known online estate agency. 

The company combines the services of an online platform and estate agent to provide a sort of hybrid service where sellers and landlords can manage their property listings themselves, organising viewings, negotiating with buyers and accepting offers—right from the app. The result is a faster, easier and more transparent process for the vendor. 

Another thing that sets them apart from high street estate agents is the fee. Rather than charging a percentage of the sale price, Purplebricks has a fixed upfront fee, making this a more cost-effective option as well. 

Purple bricks selling fees cover the use of the platform as well as consultation services from the company’s local property experts who value the property, list it and provide professional advice.

Selling with Purple bricks: How Does it Work?

Purple bricks does not operate like traditional estate agents. For sellers, this is how the process goes.

1. Book a free valuation

You can book a valuation with a local property expert, either online or in person, by choosing a time and a date that best suits you. The Purplebricks valuation process is completely free of charge and available to anyone looking to sell, let or remortgage a property. 

Once the valuation has been completed, customers will get a full report, listing the value of the property and other relevant details.

If you already had a house valuation carried out, you can register with Purplebricks for free and start using the platform. 

2. Instruct Purplebricks

If you are satisfied with the valuation, you can then instruct Purplebricks to put up the house for sale on the property market. You will be required to pay the fee upfront or defer payment by up to 10 months. 

Sellers who already have a property listed on the market can still instruct Purplebricks and start using their services the day their current agreement ends. Purplebricks can even act as an additional agent, provided your existing agency permits it. 

3. Advertise the property 

To list your property, Purplebricks will take photos, create a floorplan of the property and provide a catchy description to go with the listing. You will receive a message informing you that your advert is ready for you to review. It is advisable to make any changes to the listing at this point—remember that the photos and description need to show the property in the best light, especially if you want to sell the home quickly. 

The advert will be placed on popular property portals like Zoopla and Rightmove getting you maximum exposure to buyers. 

4. Manage viewings

Interested buyers can book in-person or virtual viewings whenever it is convenient for you.

You can take on the appointments yourself, however, this can soon become overwhelming, especially if you get multiple viewers a day. Another option is to allow Purplebricks experts to handle the appointments, although this service will cost you extra. 

5. Complete the sale

You can communicate with buyers and accept offers right from the Purplebricks app. If you need help negotiating a better deal, you can enlist the services of the company’s Local Experts, while their Post-Sales support team will provide assistance with the conveyancing process.

Keep in mind that even though Purplebricks’ experts can give you professional advice, the negotiation part is your responsibility rather than the estate agent’s (as is the case with conventional agencies). 

How does Purplebricks work for buyers?

Those interested in buying or renting a property can sign up on the platform and start searching for a house. 

The app makes it incredibly easy to stay on top of the property search by offering instant messaging with the seller/landlord as well as the ability to negotiate prices and book viewings on the go. Push notifications are also enabled ensuring you are the first to view or bid on the home of your dreams. 

How Much Does Purple Bricks Charge?

Purple bricks charges a fixed fee of £1,199 (VAT included) for properties across the UK and a £1,999 (VAT included) fee for homes in London and the surrounding area. 

They do not charge a percentage-based commission on the sale of the property. 

Purplebricks fees in the UK can be paid in two ways:

• Pay Now: A one-off payment upon instruction
• Pay Later: Defer your payment up to 10 months of putting the property for sale or when the home is sold (whichever comes first)

Note that if you want to choose your own conveyancer instead of Purplebricks’ conveyancing partner, you will have to go for the Pay Now option. 

Money-Back Guarantee 

Purplebricks has a Money-Back Guarantee policy on their fixed-fee payment. Namely, the fee is redeemable (minus EPC and conveyancing fees) if the seller has not received a qualifying offer (90% of the property’s value) within 10 months after the home is listed. 

Yopa, on the other hand, has a No Sale, No Fee payment policy under which you do not pay anything until your home is sold. 

What do Purplebricks pricing plans cover?

• Consulting services from a dedicated Local Property Expert. Purplebricks works with more than 600 local experts from all over the UK.
• Professional photographs of your home
• Creation of floor plans
• Advert description 
• Listing on property platforms like Rightmove, Zoopla and others
• UK-based support team

Upgrades to advertisements and accompanied viewings cost extra. Purple bricks’ prices for the latter range from £300 across the UK to £500 in London and surrounding areas (VAT included). 

Extras for advertisements can go up to £249 but will give your property twice the visibility as classic ads. Interactive 3D tours also cost an extra £150. 

Note that Strike, another online estate agent, charges no fees for selling your home, but offers optional extras, such as a Marketing boosts package from £599 which provides some but not all of the same services as Purplebricks.  

How to get in touch with Purplebricks?

Purplebricks has a UK-based customer support system that can help you with any queries and issues. 

Here is an overview of Purplebricks contact information:

• Live chat with experts: 8.30 am – 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.30 pm Saturdays.
• For sales: 0800 810 8008 (8:30 am – 7 pm Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm Saturdays)
• For lettings: 0800 810 8419 (9 am – 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, 9 am – 1 pm Saturdays)

If you need to contact the Post-Sales team, call 0121 274 3021 every weekday from 9 am – 5:30 pm. 

If you want to make a complaint or a general enquiry, you can contact the company via the online form found on their website. 

Purple Bricks Reviews 

Purplebricks advertises as the “highest rated estate agent in the UK” and proudly affirms that all of their customer reviews are legit. 

The company has garnered 4.2 starts on Trustpilot from more than 87,000 customers. Most, clients were impressed with the correct valuation, as well as the professional service provided by the company’s agents. 

On Feefo, Purplebricks has a 4.4/ 5 rating with most customers praising the company’s efficiency, speed and overall professional attitude. What’s more, clients had a lot of positive feedback on the online approach to marketing a property, making it simpler for vendors to interact with buyers and decide how the sale should proceed.

However, a small portion of customers have said that Purplebricks’s customer service is not very responsive and that there could be potential hold-ups of about 7 days. AllAgents Purple bricks reviews were particularly bad with most customers reporting a negative experience with the platform and giving it a one-star rating only. 

Final Verdict: Is It a Good Idea to Use Purplebricks?

It all depends on what sellers expect out of the process and the value of the property. Those with a bigger home to sell will definitely benefit from Purplebricks’ fixed fee structure rather than the percentage-based model employed by high street estate agents. 

On the other hand, house vendors who prefer to leave the entire process in the hands of professionals, including negotiating the price, organising and holding viewings, might be better off using a traditional estate agent.