Landlord Products / Services
TheHouseShop.com – the property website that lets you advertise your home for free, whether you’re selling or letting.
Spoiler: As tempting as “free” sounds, I’d recommend giving their services a miss – it’ll probably save you some time in the long run.
Funny enough, there was a time when I was actually an affiliate partner of theirs – a full-blown cheerleader*. I even visited their offices and talked shop with the directors. But something changed along the way. I’m not sure exactly what, but they’re definitely a shell of their former self now, in my opinion.
Note: I appreciate it may seem like I’m going out of my way to throw a hissy fit, but in truth, this is actually an update to what was once a glowing positive review! It’s actually annoying that I have to spend my time doing this.
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.
* While 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 complementary marketing tool, and never the main event. But that ship has sailed. These days, I’d just stick with a decent online agent, which provides a Rightmove & Zoopla listing.
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 – As I mentioned, I was one of their affiliate partners, sending them leads in exchange for a referral fee. But then they went completely radio 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.
- 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.
My Recommended Alternatives to TheHouseShop (That are also FREE)!
Free Online Estate Sgent (Sales)
| Estate Agent | Rating | Duration | Includes / Notes | Price from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PurpleBricks | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 months | Includes / NotesFree package
| PriceFREE | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
Purplebricks! Yes, The Purplebricks, actually offers a free house-selling service – and frankly, I think it’s so much better than both TheHouseShop’s current offering and what they had back when I used to be a fan.
Like TheHouseShop, Purplebricks’ free package only gets your property listed on their own website. But the reality is, Purplebricks is a much bigger, more recognised brand, so you’re more likely to get traction and leads from their platform. Plus, they offer a free in-person valuation from a local agent. So that’s pretty cool.
That said, the same caveat applies: I’d only use Purplebricks’ free service alongside another service that gets your property on Rightmove and Zoopla, because no matter how big Purplebricks is, it still doesn’t come close to the power of those two portals.
Bottom line: if you want maximum exposure, listings on Rightmove and Zoopla are non-negotiable.
Now, Purplebricks does allow you to upgrade their free package so your property also gets listed on Rightmove and Zoopla, but that’ll set you back at least £599 (that’s for the “Advert Listing” add-on). So now we’re no longer talking “free” or even particularly “cheap”
You can read my full review of the Purplebricks Free Service for all the details.
However, if you’re serious about selling your home quickly, then Rightmove and Zoopla exposure is a must. So if you’re going to spend the money, it’s worth knowing that there are far cheaper ways to get that same essential coverage – and they pair perfectly with Purplebricks’ free package (a position I was previously filling with TheHouseShop).
We’re talking as little as £50, not £599.
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 Online Letting Agent (Rentals)
| Letting Agent | Rating | Term | Includes / Notes | Price from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OpenRent | RatingGoogle Reviews | Duration 5 days / 3 months* | Includes / NotesUltimate Advertising package
*5 days free, and then the option of continuing service for 3 months for £39 for new customers and £49 for returning customers! | PriceFree Trial*FREENo hidden fees, no credit card details required! | Visit Website |
Of course, it has to be the one and only OpenRent – the UK’s leading online letting agent. They’ve carved out a solid reputation in the landlord space and are a dominant force when it comes to cost-effective property marketing for landlords.
They offer a completely free 5-day trial (which I believe is exclusive to my readers), which includes listings on Rightmove and Zoopla – with no strings attached. And honestly, that trial period alone is often long enough to generate plenty of enquiries and even wrap up your campaign before it expires.
But even if you need more time? Keeping your listing live for a further 3 months costs just £39 for new customers, or £49 for returning ones. That’s a bargain however you slice it!
Like thousands of other landlords, I’m a huge fan – OpenRent is my personal go-to. Check out my full review of OpenRent for all the details.
And if you want to explore more options, here’s a complete list of the best UK online letting agents. There are some fantastic alternatives out there, each offering different features that might better suit your specific needs.
Conclusion
- TheHouseShop.com: A hard pass from me, for both sales and lettings.
- For sellers: Definitely consider Purplebricks’ free package, but pair it with an online estate agent offering affordable Rightmove & Zoopla listings.
- For landlords: OpenRent is a top choice, though other reputable online letting agents are worth exploring too.
Landlord out xo
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
My only experience with TheHouseShop is when they STOLE my ad from Gumtree. Copied and pasted, no permission asked even under disguise. I only realised when enquiries kept coming in after I took the original ad down as the new tenants moved in.
A very poor way to increase the size of their website.
It took quite a few emails, unhappy telephone conversations and bit of my time also to convince them I do not wish to advertise with them.
They may be free but I do not recommend.