Doncaster family launch platform to rent and buy houses without estate agents
Hownlt gives people a way to sell, buy and rent houses without using estate agent services.
A Doncaster mum and her two children have turned their own experiences of buying and selling homes into a new family business, hoping to give local people a more affordable way to advertise their properties.
Andrea Booth, along with her daughter Katie and son Chad, are the family behind HownIt, a new online property advertising platform that allows homeowners and landlords to advertise their properties and deal directly with interested buyers and tenants, without needing an estate agent.
The idea came about when Andrea was selling her own home and began questioning why it could cost thousands of pounds in estate agent commission, particularly when she felt capable of handling much of the process herself.
Andrea explained: “When I was selling my house, I just kept thinking, why does it have to cost so much?
“The more we talked, the more we thought, why can’t we create something that gives people another option?”
“We’re just a normal working family from Doncaster.
“It’s been hard work, and there have definitely been times when we’ve wondered what we’ve taken on! But we’ve all put so much into it, and it’s something we’re really proud to have done together.
“We started this because we genuinely felt there should be another way, and if we can help other people save money in the process, then that’s what it’s all about.”
Rather than paying an agent to market their property, homeowners and landlords can create their own adverts, upload photographs, write their own descriptions and speak directly with people interested in buying or renting.
They can arrange their own viewings and make their own decisions, while HownIt provides the online platform to advertise their property.
The business does not handle negotiations, manage viewings or deal with the legal side of a sale or rental.
The family have chosen to launch HownIt exclusively across the DN postcode area, giving local homeowners and landlords the first opportunity to use the platform.
To celebrate the launch, the first 30 property listings will be completely free for six months, with one free listing per person.
Find out more here