TheHouseShop.com Review: Why It’s a Hard Pass From Me

What does TheHouseShop do?

In nutshell, TheHouseShop.com is a property portal that allows sellers, landlords, and estate agents to advertise properties for free on their website.

They generated revenue by upselling “featured listings” that give properties more exposure, along with a bunch of auxiliary services to support the sales and lettings process – things like cleaning, insurance, and more. As far as I can tell, these services are outsourced to third-party providers, with TheHouseShop simply earning a commission from the referrals.

Admittedly, I was once an advocate of their service – and I did see value in using their free platform to market properties for sale or let – I’ve always been transparent about one thing: I never believed their brand or platform was strong enough to rely on as a sole marketing tool. I consistently recommended using their service alongside an online agent that could get your property listed on Rightmove and Zoopla – because that’s where the real exposure comes from.

In other words, I always saw TheHouseShop.com as a worthwhile complementary marketing tool, and never the main event. But sadly, even that ship has sailed.

Why I Wouldn’t Recommend TheHouseShop today!

Boy, where do I begin?

• Horrendous reviews – Just take a glance at their TrustPilot profile. It’s littered with scathing feedback, many of which report the same issues.

  Honestly, I’m surprised they’re still holding a 1.7/5 rating (at the time of writing this).

  

• They ghosted me – I was once an affiliate partner, sending them leads in exchange for a referral fee. Then, out of nowhere, they went completely silent – I have no idea why. I chased them multiple times for updates – nothing. The whole thing felt rude, unprofessional, and honestly, left a pretty sour taste in my gob.

  It’s fair to say they’ve been dead to me ever since, and I haven’t recommended them to a single soul since that day.

  I know this might sound like a bitter ex grinding an axe, but I’m simply laying out the facts.

• Customer support seems non-existent – From my own experience (as an affiliate) and reviews left by customers, TheHouseShop’s customer service is, to put it mildly, abysmal. When I visited their HQ, they had a sizable team (no idea what everyone did, but I was surprised by how many worker bees there were!). I get the sense that is no longer the case. It feels like the support has largely been handed over to automated systems.
• Inactive socials – I’m honestly not sure how active their site even is anymore (i.e. whether new listings are actually going live or being updated). But their social media presence? Pretty much dead. Their Facebook page hasn’t been updated since 2021, and their Twitter account since 2023. Not exactly a confidence booster.
• Better alternatives available – Honestly, even if we set all the other issues aside, the reality is this: there are far more effective ways to market a property – both free and low-cost. In my view, these alternatives offer significantly better value and lead generation potential, whether you’re selling or letting.

I think I’ll stop there.

What would I use instead (my recommended alternatives to TheHouseShop)?

If you’re looking to advertise a property for sale

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend any freebie solutions here, especially if you’re serious about selling your property – I’m just not convinced there’s an effective solution that currently exists in that bracket. However, if you’re willing to drop a couple of peanuts (relatively speaking), I can give you some options.

The reality is, if you’re serious about selling (or renting out, for that matter) your home, then you’ll want it listed on Rightmove and Zoopla in order to attract the most eyeballs. Fortunately, with an online letting agent, you can do that for as little as £64.

Exhibit A:

Example of Online Estate Agent that lists on Rightmove & Zoopla

Estate Agent	Rating	Duration	Includes / Notes	Price from
Visum	Rating 4.2 TrustPilot Reviews	Duration 1 month	Includes / Notes Plus package Key features Rightmove listing Zoopla listing OnTheMarket listing PrimeLocation listing	Price Discount price £64 Inc VAT (Normal price: £79)	Visit Website£15 Discount Code: PIP1

If you’re looking to spend as little as possible (which, generally speaking, is the case for those using a service like TheHouseShop), then this is definitely a viable and effective solution, in my opinion (and clearly it’s not just my opinion either, which is why online agents are so incredibly popular).

Here’s a list of the best UK online estate agents that will list your property for sale on Rightmove & Zoopla, so you can scope out all your options.

Free Market Places for Lettings

If you’re a landlord looking to find tenants, and want to use a free and cheerful platform with a similar vibe to TheHouseShop (i.e. a virtual marketplace) – then you’re in luck, because there are some pretty decent options. I actually think the following are much better alternatives than the TheHouseShop:

Service	Notes / Includes	Price
Service	Notes / Includes Advertise on Gumtree for Free 100% free – Ads will be live for 60 days. Once the ad’s run-time is up, you’ll receive an email notice that your ad is about to expire. You can apply a “Bump Up” at any time to reset its clock. Gumtree listing Very popular classified website Various packages available to “Make your ad stand out” for extra exposure	Price Free	Visit Website
Service	Notes / Includes Advertise on Facebook Marketplace for Free 100% free Facebook Marketplace listing Very popular classified section on Facebook	Price Free	Visit Website
Service	Notes / Includes Advertise on SpareRoom for Free 100% free Spareroom listing Best place to list for HMOs, shared accommodation and lodgers Very popular classified website specifically for renters & landlords Reasonable fees for “Bold Ads” for extra exposure (from £10.99 for 1 week)	Price Free	Visit Website

It’s entirely possible – perhaps even likely – to find tenants using any of the free platforms, especially if you use them in combination.

However, in the same vein as when selling a home, I’d still strongly recommend pairing them with an online letting agent that can get your property listed on Rightmove and Zoopla. These agents charge as little as £40 or so, so once again, we’re not talking big money here.

Example of Online Letting Agent that lists on Rightmove & Zoopla

Letting Agent	Rating	Term	Includes / Notes	Price from
Emoov	Rating 4.7 TrustPilot Reviews	Duration 3 months	Includes / Notes Let Your Property package Key features Rightmove listing Zoopla listing OnTheMarket listing PrimeLocation listing	Price£39.5 Inc VAT	Visit Website

Here’s a full guide and list of my recommended Online Letting Agents:

Conclusion

• TheHouseShop.com: A hard pass from me, for both sales and lettings.
• For sellers: I think you’ll be pushed to find an effective free house-selling marketplace – I’m not convinced one even exists. However, if you’re willing to spend a little on a proven method that works, use an online estate agent that offers affordable listings on Rightmove and Zoopla.
• For landlords: Definitely explore the three marketplaces I mentioned, but for the best chance of finding a tenant quickly, combine them with an online letting agent that lists on Rightmove and Zoopla.
• You get what you pay for: I still stand by opening remarks, that I believe these free solutions are best used as complimentary marketing tools. Obviously I totally get the attraction with flogging or letting a property for free, and yes, I believe it’s entirely possible. That said, for a relatively small spend, you can significantly boost visibility on your advert and dramatically boost your chances of achieving quicker results. Honestly, it’s money very well spent.

Landlord out xo