If you’ve been thinking about selling your property in Wigan, you’ve probably considered the traditional route—putting it on the market, waiting for viewings, negotiating offers, and hoping everything goes smoothly. But there’s another option that’s becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, landlords, and investors across Wigan, Standish, Shevington, and the surrounding areas: selling at auction.
With over 40 years of experience in the local property market, Alan has seen selling methods evolve considerably. Auction has transformed from a niche option into a mainstream choice that offers something the traditional route often can’t—speed, certainty, and committed buyers from day one.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about selling your property at auction, helping you decide if it’s the right choice for your circumstances.
The Problem with Traditional Property Sales
Let’s be honest about the challenges of selling through traditional private treaty. On average, these sales take over 125 days to complete. During that time, you’re vulnerable to buyers pulling out, chains collapsing, and the stress of uncertainty hanging over your plans.
Perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself—or know someone who has. The buyer who seemed committed suddenly gets cold feet. The chain breaks down. Weeks or months of your time are wasted, and you’re back to square one.
This is where auction offers a compelling alternative.
What Makes Auction Different?
Auction creates a completely different dynamic. Instead of waiting months in limbo, you get fixed completion timescales, competitive bidding that can drive your price up, and buyers who are financially committed from the moment they win.
Speed and Certainty
With auction, you’re looking at completion in either 28 days (Traditional Auction) or 56 days (Modern Method of Auction). These aren’t estimates—they’re fixed deadlines that give you absolute certainty about when your sale will complete.
This is invaluable if you’re relocating for work, need to release equity quickly, or have financial commitments that depend on your sale going through. You can plan your next move with confidence rather than living in uncertainty.
Committed Buyers Who Can’t Back Out
Here’s the game-changer: auction buyers pay a non-refundable reservation fee or deposit upfront. This isn’t a token gesture—it’s a serious financial commitment that ensures they’re genuine about completing the purchase.
Compare this to traditional sales where buyers can walk away at any point before exchange of contracts, often leaving sellers in difficult positions. Do you need to accept the highest bid? No—you set a confidential reserve price that protects you from selling for less than you’re comfortable with. But once that reserve is met and the auction ends, the buyer is locked in.
Competition Drives Better Prices
One of the aspects Alan loves about auction is watching competitive bidding unfold. When multiple buyers want the same property, they’re bidding against each other rather than negotiating you down. A well-set starting price attracts interest, and active bidding often pushes the final price beyond initial expectations.
This is particularly effective for properties in desirable Wigan locations like Standish or Shevington, where the combination of local appeal and national auction exposure creates real competition.
Understanding Your Auction Options
Not all auctions work the same way, and choosing the right method for your circumstances is important.
Modern Method of Auction has become the most popular choice because it opens your property to both cash and mortgage buyers. You get a 56-day completion period, giving buyers time to arrange finance while still delivering a much faster sale than traditional routes. The winning bidder pays a non-refundable reservation fee and must exchange contracts within the agreed timeframe.
Traditional Auction offers the absolute fastest route—just 28 days to completion—but is typically limited to cash buyers. The exchange of contracts happens immediately on the fall of the hammer, creating instant legal commitment. This works brilliantly for investment properties or when speed is your absolute priority.
We’ll help you decide which approach suits your property and circumstances best.
The Auction Process: What to Expect
Selling at auction follows a clear, structured process. Here’s how it works:
Planning and Pricing – We’ll work with you to set a realistic reserve price (your minimum acceptable price) and a starting bid designed to attract interest and encourage competitive bidding. Alan’s four decades of experience in the Wigan market means you’ll get honest, informed advice about what your property can achieve.
Preparing Your Auction Pack – This is crucial. The Auction Pack contains all the legal documents and property information buyers need to bid with confidence. We’ll guide you through compiling this, which includes title documents, searches, property information forms, and for leasehold properties, a Management Pack from your freeholder. Getting this ready early prevents delays once bidding begins.
Marketing Your Property – Your property gets advertised across major portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, plus exposure to a national database of auction buyers actively looking for properties. We arrange professional photography, viewings, and everything needed to generate serious interest. The more interest we create before the auction, the better the competitive bidding tends to be.
The Bidding Period – Registered buyers bid online over a set period. If someone bids in the final two minutes, the timer resets to ensure everyone gets a fair chance. It’s transparent, exciting, and designed to maximise your final price.
Sold and Completed – Once your reserve is met, the buyer pays their reservation fee and the countdown to completion begins. We coordinate everything between you, your solicitor, the buyer, and their legal team to ensure the sale progresses smoothly to completion.
Throughout this process, you’ll have direct access to our team. You’re not just a number—we know you, your property, and your circumstances personally.
Is Auction Right for Your Property?
Auction works exceptionally well in certain situations. Here are scenarios where we often recommend it:
You need certainty about timing – Perhaps you’re buying another property, relocating for work, or have plans that depend on knowing exactly when your sale completes. Auction’s fixed timescales give you that certainty.
You’re a landlord looking to release an investment – Investors appreciate auction’s speed and the fact that many buyers are fellow investors who understand the property’s potential. The competitive environment can also deliver strong prices for well-maintained rental properties.
Your property needs a quick sale – Whether due to financial pressures, inheritance situations, or other time-sensitive circumstances, auction delivers the fastest legitimate route to completion.
You want to avoid fall-throughs – If you’ve experienced buyers backing out before, or you simply want the security of knowing your buyer is financially committed from day one, auction eliminates that risk.
Your property is unique or unusual – Properties that might take longer to find the right buyer through traditional methods often perform well at auction, where national exposure helps identify buyers who specifically want something different.
What About Costs?
One question we’re always asked is about fees. With auction, you typically pay for the Auction Pack preparation, which contains all the legal documents buyers need. Your solicitor fees are separate, as with any property sale.
Here’s what makes auction cost-effective: if your property doesn’t sell, there’s no agency fee. This gives you a risk-free option to test the market. And because auction delivers faster completions, you’re not paying months of additional mortgage payments, insurance, and utility bills while waiting for a traditional sale to complete.
The Local Advantage
Alan’s 40 years serving Wigan means we understand this market inside out. We know what attracts buyers to properties in Standish versus Orrell, what pricing works in Shevington versus Appley Bridge, and how to position your property to maximise competitive interest.
This local knowledge, combined with the national exposure auction provides, gives your property the best of both worlds—specialist local expertise with access to buyers from across the UK.
We’ve helped homeowners, landlords, and developers achieve successful auction sales, and we handle everything personally. From preparing your marketing to coordinating viewings, managing the auction process, and liaising with solicitors, you’ll work directly with our experienced team who know you and your property.
Ready to Explore Auction?
If you’re curious whether auction could work for your property, we’d love to have an honest conversation about your circumstances and goals. There’s no pressure—sometimes auction is perfect, and sometimes traditional private treaty makes more sense. What matters is finding the right approach for you.
With Alan’s decades of experience and our proven track record in auction sales, you’ll get straightforward advice about whether this route suits your situation, what prices make sense, and what you can realistically expect from the process.
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Let’s discuss whether selling at auction could be the solution you’ve been looking for.