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You can legally sell a house or flat that is near a pub, however buyers may have further considerations to make. This guide details those factors and offers some important guidance on ways to make your property more appealing to prospective buyers, including some steps to increase your chance of getting a buyer to make a fast and competitive offer.
- What does it mean to own a home located near or next to a pub?
- Difficulties you may find when selling your property near a pub
- Some buyers could see living near or next to a pub as a benefit
- Ways to make your home by a pub more attractive to buyers
- Choices for how to sell your property close to a pub
- Frequently asked questions about selling a home by a pub
What does it mean to own a home located near or next to a pub?
No matter where your home is situated, whether that’s a city centre, suburb, rural area or anywhere else, there’s a strong chance that you won’t be too far from a pub.
By the end of 2022 there were an estimated 25,676 bars and pubs operating throughout the UK, according to IBISWorld. Although that number represents a 3.5 percent drop compared to the amount of such businesses in 2021, it still shows that there are many still open.
But when is your property considered to be near or next to a pub?
There is no strict distance standard set out in any UK law or regulation that specifies the answer to this question, so common sense is typically the best way to determine it. Flats that are part of the same building as a pub are a prime example of a residential property this is “next” to a pub.
Similarly, a detached house that shares a wall or fence with a pub would be considered to be located next to it. Properties just a few doors down, or even one or two streets away, might also be viewed by buyers as being situated close to the pub. And as this guide explains, the short distance between a pub and your house or flat might make it harder to sell your property.
In the following sections you’ll get insights into the justifications some buyers might give you for why they have no desire to purchase a home near or next to a pub. You’ll also get advice on how to make your property more appealing to buyers, and how to get a fair and fast sale.
Difficulties you may find when selling your property near a pub
If you are attempting to sell a property that’s located either next to, or relatively close to, a pub you might find that there are a number of buyers who will instantly lose interest in the home because of that proximity.
Noise: One of the of biggest concerns that potential buyers might have about owning your home is the noise that they could hear from the pub, particularly one that is open for many hours each day and late into the evening. This problem could be even more severe if your property is a flat situated above a pub because the noise from the business will be even louder. And noise associated with criminal acts, as explained next, could be another turnoff for buyers.
Crime: Unfortunately, alcohol consumption can often lead to fights in pubs, meaning that violent crime rates near these businesses are often higher than other locations. Sometimes drunks from pubs might even vandalise properties nearby, putting your house or flat at potential risk. This can be a significant deterrent for some buyers, as Property Road explains.
Parking: Some pubs may have car parks for customers, but many of these businesses are located on streets with no immediate dedicated parking nearby. As a result, people who are visiting the pub will park as close as they can, and this could include outside your house or flat. If you don’t have a private parking spot at your home and have to rely on street parking, this can be very frustrating – and it could be a warning sign for buyers who will need a parking space.
Some buyers could see living near or next to a pub as a benefit
Whilst many potential buyers could see the short distance between a pub and your flat or house as a deal breaking negative factor, it could make others look more favourably on your home. That’s because there are also a number of pros associated with such a property.
One couple living near the Havelock Tavern pub in London told The Standard that some buyers were reluctant to consider making an offer on their home because it was so close to that business. But the couple also said buyers were missing out, as they experienced several advantages of their property’s location.
For example, they said that living near to the pub helped to give them a sense of community, along with security and convenience – they can leave their keys with the pub owner when traveling, can have post delivered to the pub, and various other benefits.
Security: Although the previous section of this guide notes that crime rates near pubs can often be higher than other areas, the inverse can sometimes be true in that properties located close to these businesses are seen as safer by some buyers. They may appreciate the fact that a busy pub means plenty of people will be around, offering more security for your home against burglars or vandals, particularly compared to properties located in remote areas.
Community: As the couple interviewed by The Standard noted, living close to a pub could be a priority for certain buyers that want to feel involved in the local community. They may plan on being regulars at the pub and meeting their neighbours that way. A property that is situated near or next to this type of establishment will therefore be seen as more appealing to this type of buyer compared to one that would require a drive or public transportation to get to a pub.
Convenience: Related to the advantage of feeling part of a community, the proximity of your flat or house to a pub could also be a top reason why someone wants to make an offer to buy the property. There are several ways that your location can make life more convenient for prospective buyers, including giving them somewhere regular to eat and drink, potentially being able use the pub’s car park, being able to get post delivered to the pub, and more.
Ways to make your home by a pub more attractive to buyers
Should you find that your home is struggling to sell because it’s situated next to or near a pub, there are various actions you could consider that might help to increase its appeal to potential buyers.
If buyers are primarily concerned about noise from the pub affecting their quality of life as the next owner of your home, you could consider investing in some sound insulation. There are various materials available that can be installed at a property to help reduce the amount of noise that you would be able to hear from the pub inside your home when the windows are closed. This might help to resolve some potential buyers’ concerns about noise from the pub.
But this type of sound insulation work could be quite expensive and take a very long time, and neither of those are good outcomes for homeowners who want to sell fast and at a low cost.
You’re not required to invest in such a project before attempting to sell, and as you’ll see in more detail in the next section of this guide, you have options for attracting a fast and fair offer even without pursuing such work. One solution is getting in touch with a quick home buyer like LDN Properties, as they won’t view the noise from the pub as a dealbreaker or negative factor, and you’ll be able to get a competitive offer with a sale that should be completed within weeks.
Other steps that you can take to make your property appeal more to buyers include some low-cost or no-cost cleaning up around the home to improve how it appears to them.
Outside the property you should mow and weed any garden or yard if you have one, and fix issues like missing roof tiles, broken windows, or other minor problems. First appearances count when selling a home, and a buyer will look more favourably – and see your property as more valuable – if it appears well-maintained, compared to one that seems in a poor condition.
The same is true inside your home; clean rooms and remove any clutter, because this will make them seem larger and worth more to prospective buyers. If you have pets, remove any hairs and keep them locked away when people come to see your property during viewings.
Choices for how to sell your property close to a pub
A final decision you’ll need to make with the sale of your home near a pub is which approach to use for finding a buyer. The options are selling your home at an auction, selling your home on your own, selling your home with an estate agent or selling your home to a quick buyer.
To help with making this choice, write down your main goals when looking for a buyer, including the length of time you are prepared to wait, whether you can accept paying commission to sell, and your ideal selling price. Then compare these factors against the information about of the four methods below, as this will assist in identifying the one that best suits your needs.
You’ll see that some of the approaches have notable disadvantages, such as possibly having to wait more than a year to sell when you do so without any help. Other options have clear benefits, like avoiding fees when you opt for selling to a zero-commission quick buyer.
Selling your home at an auction
There’s little work for you to do, and therefore less stress, when selling at an auction, because the auctioneer handles most of the tasks. This begins with making and advertising a listing that features photographs and a description of your home and hosting the auction. They’ll also oversee a successful auction, making sure that all the relevant legal papers are signed.
You may be offered either a traditional or modern method of auction, as Unbiased notes. The traditional method involves advertising your listing for a set number of weeks, and then the auction is held on a specific day for a limited amount of time. The modern method lets people bid 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on your listing for the entire time it’s active, and the top bid when the listing expires is the winner and buyer.
Part of the auction process is choosing a reserve price – this is the lowest price at which you’re comfortable selling your property. Be sure to include the commission you’ll pay the auctioneer when calculating your reserve price, so that you can hopefully make a profit on the sale even at that value. Be aware that receiving just a single bid at the reserve price is a binding legal agreement for you to sell your home, and the buyer could sue to enforce it if necessary.
Typically, an auctioneer will charge 2.5 percent of your home’s final sale price as their commission, but the actual rate might be higher or lower. You could be able to negotiate a lower fee or have the buyer pay some of your expenses, so ask the auctioneer if this is possible.
It won’t be a speedy process selling your home this way, and you’ll have to wait many weeks or longer after you decide to sell this way and before the auction takes place. If your property sells at the auction, the buyer will often have about a month to sign their legal documents and complete the other mandatory tasks to finalise the purchase, delaying the timeline further.
You might want to inquire with auctioneers about the possibility of setting a shorter deadline for the buyer to do these steps, but some companies may give the winner even more time.
Selling your home on your own
Selling your property without any help puts the responsibility on you to handle all the tasks, from putting together and advertising a listing through to scheduling viewings and hearing offers from serious buyers. It’s a lot of work and it can be very stressful and time-consuming.
The only obvious advantage of selling without any help from an estate agent or auctioneer is that you won’t need to pay them any commission when you sell, which helps reduce your expenses. But this saving might be cancelled out by the money that you will have to spend on advertising your home’s listing and various other tasks involved with finding a buyer.
Only consider this method if you have managed to sell a home near a pub in the past, or you have a friend or family member with such experience who might be willing to help for free with finding a buyer for your property. If not, it could be a very slow process for finding a buyer, and it might take more than a full year before you’re able to get a genuine offer from one.
Be aware that someone could make a true offer to buy your home but then withdraw it and cause the sale to collapse, which would extend your selling timeline much further because you would need to start over with looking for a buyer. And so long as the contracts have not yet been exchanged on your home, the person that made the cancelled offer can’t be penalised.
If selling without paying any fees is your top priority, a suitable alternative could be selling your home to a zero-commission quick buyer like LDN Properties. Not only will you get the same benefit of not having to pay fees, but you can also secure a much swifter sale. That’s because quick buyers typically can finalise the purchase of almost any home within a few short weeks.
Selling your home with an estate agent
You can avoid a lot of stress and effort when selling through an estate agent, because they will be responsible for creating and advertising a listing, along with organising viewings and hearing offers on the property, ideally taking a serious offer to the exchange of contracts.
For handling all of these steps, the average estate agent will charge a homeowner between 1.15 percent and 1.40 percent of the property’s final sale price in commission, and this will add to your costs because the fee is taken out of the eventual selling proceeds. If you’d like to reduce your expenses, consider selling via no-fee methods such as a quick buyer.
Estate agents are also not the fastest approach for selling a home, as you could be waiting many months or even more than an entire year before getting a genuine offer from a buyer.
And someone could make a serious offer but then change their mind and withdraw it, causing the sale to fall apart – and they won’t face any penalties if contracts are not yet exchanged. This will delay a sale much longer because you’ll need to begin the search for a buyer again.
Selling your home to a quick buyer
Quick buyers have the funds available to immediately purchase your home, without waiting for weeks or months to first get a mortgage to cover the transaction. This cuts the typical timeline for selling down to a handful of weeks, and that includes the time to exchange contracts. Therefore, quick buyers are often by far the swiftest method for selling any property.
Selling this way is also a great option for reducing your expenses, because honest no-fee quick buyers like LDN Properties will never charge you any commission when purchasing your home, compared to estate agents and auctioneers who will take a share of your sale proceeds. If one of your main aims with selling is lowering your overall costs, a quick buyer is a good choice.
These companies are also known for making fair and fast offers to buy practically any age, condition, location, shape size or type of home, including properties located next to pubs. They won’t reduce their offer simply because your flat or house is close to such a business.
LDN Properties launched more than 15 years ago and since that time it has made offers on pubs, as well as properties sold without a survey, flats with cladding, bed and breakfast properties, Airey houses, homes with an overgrown garden, blocks of flats, unmodernised properties, houses with a flooded basement, flats with a flying freehold, homes located near to power lines, properties that are situated near to a petrol station, houses that have overdue bills and many other varied types of homes.
Top queries and answers about selling property near a pub
Property owners wanting to sell quickly can have some questions to be answered, ranging from the things they should do before trying yo sell through to selling a home in a bad location. Here are some of the questions we may be asked when selling property near a pub:
Your top questions when selling property near a pub
There isn’t a single legal or regulatory definition used by the UK government or anyone else to determine when your home is considered next to or near a pub, so common sense is the best guide. If you own a flat that’s located above a pub, or a house that neighbours the business or is only a short walk away from the pub, then that will be considered a close by to it.
You’ll find that certain potential buyers will lose interest in your property once they discover its proximity to a pub. They might be worried about the potential for alcohol-induced violent crime occurring at the business, or fear that the pub will be noisy and ruin their quality of life. Pub customers might also park outside the home, which can frustrate car-owning buyers.
Yes, there are other buyers that will place a priority of owning a house or flat that is situated near to a pub, due to several reasons. One explanation is that the person looking to make an offer on your property could see living near a pub as a great way to get involved in the local community, whilst other prospective buyers may like having somewhere to drink nearby.
You can pursue some simple and cheap, or zero-cost, actions at your home that might make it appear more valuable to buyers, including cleaning and removing clutter from rooms and sprucing up the outside – such as fixing missing roof tiles or mowing the lawn if you have one.
The four standard methods for selling any type of freehold or leasehold home, including those near a pub, are doing so through an estate agent, trying your luck with a property auction, selling to a quick home buyer such as LDN Properties or selling on your own, which means trying to find a buyer without any help from a third party like an auctioneer or an estate agent.
Contacting LDN Properties or another quick home buyer will generally be the fastest approach for selling almost any category of house or flat, because the entire timeline should only be a few short weeks. If you instead choose to sell your property with an estate agent, at an auction or without any assistance then you could be looking at several months before finding a buyer.
Not necessarily because it will depend on the method that you use for trying to find a buyer. Should you decide to sell your home via an auctioneer or estate agent then you will need to pay them commission, and this will be deducted from the eventual sale proceeds. But you won’t have to pay any fees when selling on your own or selling to a zero-commission quick buyer.
