27th August 2024

How TV property shows don’t give the full picture

The UK’s TV viewers can’t get enough of property auction shows, from the grand successes to the biggest failures, we are obsessed with watching sellers auction their homes to see if they can achieve the price they’re after and watching the buyers transform the properties into something new.

Here at SDL Property Auctions, we are no different – we love a good property programme! Of course, our favourite is BBC TV’s Homes Under the Hammer, which SDL Property Auctions has been involved in for many years. It’s always a thrill to see our customers, properties and colleagues featured on the show. What we particularly enjoy though, is seeing how our buyers transform their purchases into lovely homes to be resold, whether to let to tenants or even to live in themselves. We don’t always get the chance to follow up with our buyers, so it’s fascinating to see their progress on the small screen.

However, as much as we love these shows and their ability to showcase the speed and efficiency that auctions provide to property sellers and buyers – they don’t always provide the full picture of selling and buying properties by auction. This is why, in this blog, we want to talk about all the things that these property auction programmes show (or don’t show) that aren’t completely accurate to real-life auctions.

Auctions aren’t just for renovation projects

One of the biggest myths in property auctions is that they are only for run-down, vacant properties, and property auction shows tend to highlight these properties the most – which might give the wrong impression to viewers on what really sells at these auctions.

While these types of properties do get a lot of success at our auctions, and many investors and developers do start their renovation journeys by purchasing a property at our auctions – auctions are for a vast range of properties from family homes to luxurious apartments in the city, not just for refurbishment projects.

Here at SDL Property Auctions, we see a wide range of properties sold, from vacant lots to landlord-owned properties which already have tenants in situ. The wide range of lots we show is designed to cater to an equally wide variety of buyers. After all, not every investor wants to undertake a big renovation project, and our auctions make sure to capture their attention with unique properties as well.

It’s much less dramatic than TV makes it look

As property TV programmes mostly highlight refurbishment properties, they will often showcase the process of the buyer renovating it to the viewers, with dramatic before-and-afters to wow audiences. They especially enjoy showing how easily things can go wrong, from how expensive it can get, to how quickly budgets can be exceeded. This might turn a lot of people away from buying a renovation project property in the future – however, it’s not as dramatic as they make it look. It’s just good television!

Let’s be real, most of us like to watch these shows for the moments of drama that get sprinkled into it. We all love to see how the investors will go about fixing the problems that arise and if the sale will be a success or failure in the end. From a production point of view, it’s what gets people talking about it to their friends the next day and will have people sharing it on social media which will bring more viewers to their show.

However, in reality, investors who do their research and take their time to tackle a project in the correct order and ensure each job is done by a reputable person won’t find themselves with such a dramatic refurbishment journey. As long as you take time to plan ahead and identify any possible issues before they become out of hand then refurbishing a property isn’t as drama-filled as you might find it to be on these property shows.

Many well-presented and tenanted properties sell at auction

There are a wide number of investors who don’t want to do all the work that comes with renovating a property and would prefer to keep their hands clean, whether that’s by outsourcing the work or just buying properties that are all ready to go. Either way, it’s not uncommon to find investors who are looking for a hassle-free property.

However, these properties can be considered a little too run-of-the-mill to justify an appearance on TV as without including any renovation sections the show’s run time would be a lot shorter and less interesting to watch from a viewer’s perspective.

Despite this, ‘normal’ houses do represent a growing proportion of properties we offer at auctions and also offer fantastic opportunities for investors who want to move tenants (or move in themselves) straight away. It saves a lot of time and effort and, as the successful bidder, the tenancy transfers to you as soon as the transaction completes. This can be as little as 30 days from the end of the auction, so you really get to hasten things along, if you’re looking for a fast and easy transaction.

Sell your property at auction with SDL Property Auctions!

Still not convinced that TV property auction shows aren’t revealing the whole truth of selling at auction? Find out for yourself and experience the quick and easy process of selling and buying a property through our auctions!

If you’re a first-time auction seller then you can read through our helpful guide on how to sell your property by auction or you can contact us directly for expert help and advice on selling and buying through auction.