Selling properties across the South West
Auctions with Symonds & Sampson
We have maintained our position as the southwest’s leading firm of property auctioneers with some very impressive results. Our region has expanded with entries as far west as St Ives in Cornwall and north and south Devon. In an easterly direction, we have sold land and property in Bournemouth and Hampshire. Our auction department has excellent coverage throughout our core areas of Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
Our traditional auctions are held in the room and livestreamed offering buyers the flexibility to bid in person, online, via telephone, or by proxy. This allows all prospective purchasers to bid in
real-time wherever they are in the world. Our auctions are held monthly and include a varied range of agricultural, residential, and commercial lots across our region.
Selling property can be stressful, but our experienced professionals offer comprehensive support and advice throughout the marketing process.
Our intensive marketing campaign includes targeted social media posts and print advertising as well as a launch at The London Office to ensure our properties are put in front of buyers looking to move out of the city.
Devon
Dorset
Wiltshire
Hampshire
Cornwall
Meet the Auction Team
Mark Lewis FRICS FAAV FNAVA
Senior Partner, Auctioneer
mlewis@symondsandsampson.co.uk 01258 473766
Shula Harvey MNAEA Agency & Auction Negotiator
sharvey@symondsandsampson.co.uk 01258 473766
Meredith Wallis MNAEA ANAVA
Auction Partner, Head of Auctions mholmes@symondsandsampson.co.uk 01202 843190
Graham Barton MRICS Auctioneer, Surveyor
gbarton@symondsandsampson.co.uk 01297 33122
The Auction Timeline
6-7 WEEKS
Auction
8 WEEKS
Preparation for Marketing. This includes professional photography, including drone and elevated shots, floor plans, an Energy Performance Certificate, and a boundary plan.
Marketing particulars will be drafted for approval and auction catalogues printed. We will write to your solicitor to request the legal documentation.
The intensive six-week marketing campaign begins, and the auction is launched.
The lots are marketed on portals including Rightmove, Zoopla, and Prime Location, as well as Essential Information Group (a national auction specialist), Symonds & Sampson, The London Office website, and other affiliated sites like Plot Finder and Plot Browser.
Auction catalogues are circulated, and lots are launched at The London Office. Block viewings commence, and periodic marketing reports with the level of interest and viewing feedback are shared with our clients.
4-5 WEEKS
Legal packs are now available and bidder registration is open. Prospective buyers can download the legal pack from our website.
After reviewing the legal pack, interested parties can register to bid. We monitor the number of registered bidders to ensure that our marketing reports are accurate.
Thursday 15 May 2025 at 2:00pm
Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne DT9 3AB
2-3 WEEKS
Bidders continue to register. We recieve most registrations during the final two weeks of marketing as buyers raise their final enquiries through their solicitors.
The reserve price is finalised and kept confidential between the auctioneer and the seller.
1 WEEK
The payment window opens. Bidders must preauthorise a £10,000 hold on a payment card. If the bidder wins the auction, the £10,000 will be deducted from the final amount as a part of the 10% deposit.
We provide our clients with the number of bidders who have pre-authorised the payment. This ensures that all the bids are genuine and transparent.
AUCTION DAY
The auction will be livestreamed and bids will be placed either in person, online, or via telephone/ proxy. Once the auctioneer drops the hammer, the contracts are exchanged, and the property is sold. The contracts are signed, and a 10% deposit is paid.
In case the solicitor is not present, one of our auction team will sign and forward the contract and the deposit to your solicitor.
Completion is normally within 20 business days.
The Advantages of Selling by Auction
Speed
Buyers and sellers alike are attracted to the speed, simplicity and security of selling land and property by auction. Legal packs prepared in advance enable the exchange of contracts on the fall of the hammer, and completion follows on a specified date (usually 20 business days).
Thus, it avoids the tense and often protracted period of wait during the conveyancing process. This method of sale has long been favoured by executors but is certainly becoming more common within the residential, commercial, agricultural, and even development sectors of the market.
Transparency
One of the main advantages of auctions is that they create a level playing field, whereby everyone is bidding openly, transparently, and competitively at the same time. This means the auction method is well suited if you are selling as an executor, or on behalf of a trust or charity as you can prove you have got the best possible price on the day.
Accessibility
Our auctions are live-streamed from the venue. Buyers, therefore, enjoy the choice of attending the auction in person, bidding in real time online, bidding by telephone, or submitting a written proxy bid in advance of the auction.
Reliability
When selling property by private treaty, there is a risk of sales falling through, of delays, and endless reasons for a change in circumstance; not so when selling by auction.
On the fall of the gavel, a contract becomes binding, the buyer pays the 10% deposit, and the balance is payable on completion, usually 20 business days later.
Seaton, Devon
Bedroom cottage
Polperro, Cornwall
4 Bedroom house for redevelopment
Hayle, Cornwall
2025 Auction Dates
I found Symonds & Sampson to be most helpful, very professional and enthusiastic. They took the fear of buying at auction online away by managing my proxy bid.
I recently sold my flat at Auction with Symonds & Sampson. The whole team have been first class, professional and competent with a personal attention to detail.
Symonds & Sampson acted swiftly, professionally and sympathetically. I would highly recommend them with a special mention to Graham and Bridget.
We were very well supported during our recent purchase via auction. Graham and James were very experienced and provided extremely good advice.
We are the leading firm of auctioneers in the South West for the 18th year running.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you hold auctions?
Our auctions are generally held monthly throughout the year. The deadline for entries is 6 weeks prior to each auction date.
Is my property suitable for auction?
We sell a range of properties by auction, but they tend to either need modernisation or renovation, have specific issues such as short leases.
Why are there additional fees when selling by auction in comparison to private treaty?
We charge an upfront entry fee of either £500 plus VAT or £750 plus VAT for auction lots. This is a contribution towards the cost of marketing a property for auction. Each lot undergoes an intensive 6 week marketing period to ensure we generate as much interest as possible. This includes local papers, auction catalogues, targeted social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin), the usual property portals, and specialist auction sites.
Why doesn’t the buyer pay the fees?
Unlike the Modern Method of Auction, it is standard for the seller to pay our fees. We find that when a buyer is liable for the fees, they factor this cost into their maximum bid resulting in the property selling for less in the room. If a seller wishes to reclaim their costs from the buyer, this can be included in the special conditions however we would usually advise against it.
What is a legal pack and do I need to instruct a specialist solicitor?
You will need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor to produce a legal pack for your property. A legal pack contains all of the legal documentation that is required to sell by auction. This includes Land Registry title documents, searches, a draft transfer, contents and fittings and property information forms, and the special conditions of sale. Your solicitor will send the legal pack to us so that we can make it available to prospective buyers. We can provide details of solicitors that we deal with regularly and are familiar with the auction process.
Why can’t I set my reserve price higher than 10% of the guide price?
We are governed by the Advertising Standards Authority. Marketing a property with a guide price and then setting the reserve considerably higher would be misleading advertising. Auctions should be fair and transparent
for both sellers and buyers.
Will you accompany viewings?
We conduct all viewings and appointments will be blocked together. We usually carry out block viewings twice a week.
How will I know if my property is going to sell?
During the marketing period, interest levels are closely monitored and we provide our clients with a weekly report. The report includes viewing statistics and feedback, how many interested parties have registered for or downloaded the legal pack, and how many prospective buyers have registered to bid, We will be able to give you a very good indication of whether your property will sell. If the level of interest is not where we expect it to be, we will recommend adjusting the guide price to generate further interest.
What happens if I cannot attend the auction?
As your agent, we can sign the memorandum on your behalf and ensure a copy of the contract is sent to your solicitor. We will take the 10% deposit payment from the buyer and transfer it to your solicitor.
What if my property doesn’t sell in the room?
Our success rate is more than 90% and therefore there is a very strong chance that your property will sell. In the unlikely event that it does not reach the reserve, we will approach all interested parties with the view to selling post-auction, using the auction contract. We very rarely take a property to auction twice.
If exchange of contracts takes place on the day of the auction, when is completion?
The standard completion period is 20 business days however this date can be brought forward or pushed back to suit the seller. We recommend completion is no earlier than two weeks after the auction to allow the solicitors time to produce the completion statements. Completion can be delayed as much as six months and the period must be agreed before the auction.
What happens if the buyer fails to complete?
It is very unusual for an auction sale to fall through. This is because the contract is legally binding on the fall of the hammer. If a buyer was to withdraw, they would lose their deposit and be liable for the seller’s losses. This is why a sale by auction is guaranteed on the fall of the hammer.
Get In Touch
Axminster
Beaminster
Blandford
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Devizes
Dorchester
Frome
Ilminster
Poundbury
Salisbury
Sherborne
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Tiverton
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Yeovil
London
01297 33122
01308 863100
01258 452670
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01380 710535
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