The open-book estate agent
Move home without the fall-through.
By the government's own count, one in three home sales in England and Wales collapses before completion. Fanlight sells homes sell-ready, with every fact on the table from day one.
Concept film · AI-generated visualisation
01 · The Open Book
Every fact, before the board goes up.
Title, searches, property forms, EPC and a RICS survey, all gathered before we list, so your buyer's solicitor starts with answers, not questions.
02 · Street Hosts
Meet the street before you offer.
Local hosts, who are real neighbours, answer the questions agents can't: parking, noise, the school run and how fast the broadband really is.
03 · Viewings
Viewings with the facts on the table.
Buyers see the Open Book at the first viewing, so offers are made on facts rather than hopes that unravel at survey stage.
04 · Chain care
We look after the whole chain.
A dedicated progressor tracks every link, every week. Optional reservation agreements commit buyer and seller once an offer is accepted.
05 · Completion day
Keys in hand. Fee on completion.
One fixed fee, paid only when you complete. No sale, no fee, and no referral kickbacks, ever.
Why we exist
Buying a home in England takes about four months. One in three sales never gets there.
Most collapses start with something nobody knew at the beginning: a survey surprise, a lease clause, a chain that was never as solid as it looked. We do the finding-out first.
120days for the average home purchase in England and WalesMHCLG, June 2026
1 in 3agreed sales fall through before completion, by the government's countMHCLG, June 2026
£400ma year lost by sellers to sales that collapseMHCLG, June 2026
23.7%fall-through rate in Q1 2026, as tracked by industry dataTwentyCi, Q1 2026
Sources: MHCLG, "Homebuying shake-up to slash delays, cut costs and stop sales falling through" (June 2026); TwentyCi Property & Homemover Report, Q1 2026. Counting methods differ, which is why the figures don't match exactly.
How Fanlight works
A fixed-fee estate agent built to get you to completion.
Four habits, applied to every home we sell. None of them is complicated. Together they remove most of the reasons sales collapse.
-
The Open Book
Before we list, we gather the legal pack: title, local searches, property forms, EPC and, on most plans, a RICS Level 2 survey.
-
Meet the street
Buyers can book a 20-minute call with a Street Host, a real neighbour who can answer what an agent can't.
-
Offers on facts
Buyers see the Open Book at the first viewing, so offers rest on facts and there's far less to renegotiate later.
-
Whole-chain care
A dedicated progressor tracks every link above and below you, every week, until the keys change hands.
Reform-ready, today
The government wants sales packs by the end of this Parliament. Sellers shouldn't have to wait.
In June 2026 ministers set out plans for upfront sales packs, earlier binding agreements and digital property logbooks in England and Wales. Scotland has asked sellers for a Home Report since 2008. We simply work that way now.
- 2008
Scotland's Home Report
Sellers provide a survey, energy report and questionnaire before marketing.
- 19 June 2026
Homebuying reforms announced
Sales packs, binding conditional contracts and digital logbooks for England and Wales.
- Later in 2026
Code of Practice for agents
Minimum standards for property agents and guidance on what listings must show.
- Now
Fanlight sells sell-ready
The pack, the facts and the chain care, without waiting for legislation.
Fees
What would you pay to sell the UK's average home?
The average UK home cost £272,611 in July 2026. Here's a typical percentage commission on that price next to our fixed fee.
1.2% + VAT commission
£3,926
Paid on top of your own legal costs. Rises with your price.
Fanlight Open Book
£2,450
Fixed, including VAT, paid on completion. The Open Book pack is included. No sale, no fee.
Commission rates vary by agent and area; 1.2% + VAT is an illustrative example, not a quote from any agent. Average price: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (July 2026).
Free tools, no sign-up
Know your numbers before anyone asks.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
£3,630
2-minute check
Sale-Ready Score
Eight questions that reveal what would slow your sale down, and a to-do list to fix it.
Get your score
Community
Neighbours, not numbers.
An agent can tell you the square footage. Only a neighbour can tell you whether the street is quiet on a Friday night.
- Street Hosts: local residents who answer buyers' questions on a short call, paid per call or donated to a local cause.
- First-Timers Circle: a free monthly evening for first-time buyers, covering deposits, mortgages and stamp duty.
- Ask the Street: public questions and answers about everyday life, postcode by postcode.
House prices
Prices where you are
The UK average was £272,611 in July 2026, +1.4% on a year earlier. The north is rising fastest and London is the only region down by more than 1%.
Source: HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index (July 2026), published 16 September 2026. Next update 21 October 2026. Northern Ireland: Q2 2026.
Questions
Straight answers
What does "sell-ready" mean?
It means the information a buyer's solicitor normally chases for weeks is gathered before your home goes on the market: the title register, local authority and drainage searches, the TA6 property information and TA10 fittings forms, your EPC and, on most plans, a RICS Level 2 survey. Leasehold homes also get the management pack upfront.
How much does Fanlight cost?
One fixed fee, including VAT, paid only when your sale completes: £2,450 for Open Book, £2,950 for Open Book + Survey, or £3,950 for Open Book Complete. There's no percentage commission, and no sale means no fee.
Who pays for the Open Book pack?
We pay for the searches, survey and pack upfront and recover the cost from our fee on completion. If you withdraw before a sale, you pay only the third-party costs we've already spent, at cost.
Is a reservation agreement legally binding?
It's a binding contract between you and your buyer, but it isn't exchange. Both sides commit to proceed for an agreed period, with a fee that's lost if either walks away without a valid reason, such as an undisclosed survey problem. It's optional, and we'll always explain it before you sign.
Do you work in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Not yet. Fanlight sells homes in England and Wales, where the home-buying process most needs upfront information. Our house-price pages and stamp duty calculator do cover every UK nation.
Do you take referral fees from solicitors or brokers?
No. We'll suggest firms if you ask, but we never take a payment for sending you to them, so our recommendations are only about getting you to completion.
Ready when you are.
Book a free, no-obligation valuation and we'll show you what your Open Book would contain, before you commit to anything.