71 Parkway Regents Park, London, NW1 7PP 
Sells Residential Property 
Operates Across England and Wales and Scotland 
Based on 18 Reviews
12 Month's Data
12 Month's Data
12 Month's Data
12 Month's Data
Above Average
McHugh & Co Auctions is a reputable property auctioneer established in 1983, typically running 7 live events per year. The auctioneer offers bidders the opportunity to bid online, by phone or by proxy.
The auction house has sold 1,196 properties in the past 12 months, raising £183.8 million in sales.
McHugh & Co Auctions operates across England, Wales and Scotland and principally sells residential properties. Their stock is advertised on their website.
It is also possible to occasionally access residential development and commercial-to-residential conversion projects, although it’s difficult to quantify how many of such auction lots McHugh & Co. sells every year.
McHugh & Co Auctions sells properties ranging from £401 for a freehold ground rent investment in London (E7) to £2 million for a freehold house, also in London (NW5).
The average price of McHugh & Co Auction properties is £126,407. With the UK national average house price standing at £289,707, it would be fair to say that they generally cater to the lower-range section of the market. The auctioneer also sells a notable number of properties (15.38%) under the 2nd property stamp duty threshold (£40,000).
Using data from the UK’s top 50 auctioneers, the national average sales price was £149,062 for residential property auction sales over the last 12 months.
Below is a table of the spread of McHugh & Co Auctions sold auction property prices:
| Allsop’s Auction Sale Price Range | Share of Total Auction Sales |
|---|---|
| Under £40,000 | 15.38% |
| £40,000 – £100,000 | 35.52% |
| £100,000 – £200,000 | 25.93% |
| £200,000 – £300,000 | 10.98% |
| £300,000 – £400,000 | 6.74% |
| £400,000 – £500,000 | 2.85% |
| £500,000 and over | 2.51% |
McHugh & Co. Auctions has sold 1,196 of the 1,451 – or 82% – of the property lots listed in the past 12 months.
This puts them in joint position number 6 out of the top 50 auction houses in the UK. They are also number 6 in terms of the amount of money raised in property sales at auction.
Having a higher percentage of lots sold is usually a sign that the auctioneer has the relevant expertise in pricing auction properties realistically. It also means that the auction house has well-run operational practices – including legal (conveyancing) – to be able to progress sales efficiently within the required timeframes.
Property Auctions News tracks sales data and base market share on the number of properties sold relative to other UK auctioneers.
Mc Hugh & Co. currently has a 4.30% share of the market (of the UK’s top 50 auctioneers) – or 1,196 of the 27,836 properties sold at auction.
It’s also worth talking to smaller and often more “nimble” auctioneers who often benefit from offering a personalised service.
McHugh & Co Auctions service is reviewed across a number of online platforms including TrustPilot and Google Reviews. It has an average review score of 3.8 (out of 5).
McHugh & Co. on Trustpilot currently shows a 3.4 rating, classifying them as “Average”. One of the one-star reviews claims they are “not a trustworthy company”. On the other hand, a reviewer gave them 5 stars stating that McHugh & Co “exceeded expectations”.
Google My Business McHugh & Co Auctions currently shows a 4.2 rating with clients with one saying the lots are “described incorrectly.” There are, however, 4 and 5 star reviews by both sellers and buyers with one stating they had a “great experience.”
Reviews of auctioneers must be viewed with caution, as these are personal experiences and can be based on unrealistic expectations. It’s always verifying the accuracy of the review and researching the track record of the auctioneers.
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McHugh & Co Auctions charges the following to market and sell a residential property:
McHugh & Co Auctions will charge a fee of 2.5% + VAT of the auction sale price directly by the seller, usually upon successful completion.
There will be an additional fee of £300 + VAT to add the property at auction, charged to the seller. This fee typically covers marketing material (photographs, the floorplan producing the EPC) alongside other administrative costs undertaken by Allsop. Note that this will be charged regardless of whether the property sells or not (although you will not need to pay the fee should you decide to relist if the sale is unsuccessful).
Buyers pay a deposit of 10% to McHugh & Co.’s Client Account at the fall of the hammer (an effective exchange of contract). The funds will be immediately transferred to the seller solicitor’s client account until the point of completion.
Note that this can vary in line with the value of the property and the type of auction. There is also a £5,000 charge to register the card and participate in the auction. This will be released if unsuccessful in winning the auction.
McHugh & Co Auctions charges a £1,200 buyer admin fee. This is usually paid by the buyer at the fall of the auction hammer and covers the necessary paperwork for the sale to be completed. This fee will be higher for more expensive properties (in London, for example) or complex transactions.
There are legal fees that both parties must pay, which are independent of the auction house.
It’s generally always recommended for a solicitor (conveyancer) to prepare an auction legal pack. This is because the buyer will effectively be committing to purchase the property at the fall of the hammer and would therefore need as much background information as possible.
The legal pack will typically contain: Title Register (Deeds), Title Plan, conveyancing searches (buyers may choose to take out specific indemnity insurance policies), latest Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), Terms + Conditions of sale, Special Conditions of Sale, completed Law Society Forms (TA6, TA10, TA7, LPE1, LPE2), Leasehold Management Pack, Tenancy Related Information.
As a seller, you may choose to pass these on to the buyer, which will be written into the Special Conditions of the auction contract. Bear in mind, depending on how “in demand” the auction property is, this may result in bidders offering lower to factor in the extra costs.
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McHugh & Co Auctions runs residential auctions every 6 weeks, but they may increase the frequency if there is surplus stock that needs to be sold.
As one of the well-established industry operators, McHugh & Co Auctions mainly operates traditional or unconditional auctions.
This means there is a marketing and viewing period before the auction, and when the online gavel falls, contracts are immediately exchanged. At this point, the buyer typically pays 10% of the auction property’s sales price alongside a buyer’s premium (although McHugh & Co. calls it an administration fee).
The buyer then has 28 days to complete the sale or else face financial penalties (stipulated in the auction terms + conditions).
At the seller’s request, the period between the fall of the hammer (exchange of contracts) and completion can be extended – typically to 42 days (or 6 weeks).
In addition to traditional 28-day unconditional sales, McHugh & Co. does offer modern method auctions – although it is not overtly stated on their site.
Broadly described as a mix between estate agency (private treaty) sales and 28-day auctions, buyers still pay the non-refundable administrative fee at the fall of the hammer. However, the exchange of contracts only occurs after 28 days with a further 28 days to complete on the sale (i.e. 56 days in total once the bid is won). Sellers often choose this route as, with buyers having more time to organise finances, offers tend to be higher.
A member of the McHugh & Co Auctions team will carry out a “desktop” valuation of the property. They may also use an independent valuer from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors if the transaction is complex, the cost of which is usually incurred by the seller.
Depending on the level of interest for a given property, McHugh & Co will open up the bidding on a set day or time period. These days, most of their auctions are live-streamed and bidders can also participate online, live stream, by phone or proxy.
McHugh & Co Auctions advertise properties using a mix of strategies and processes to encourage strong bidding activity on auction day.
Regardless of whether you’re buying or selling at auction, remember to take the time to understand how everything works from start to finish to avoid any misunderstandings.
Upon signing up, the auctioneer works with the seller to organise high-quality photos, floorplan, an energy performance certificate (where necessary). McHugh & Co. Auctions will then prepare the listing in line with the relevant guidance – this will include the terms + conditions (typically in line with RICS Common Auction Conditions) and detailed information regarding the property and the auctioneer’s full contact details.
In addition to McHugh & Co. Auctions’ own website, the listing will be fed through to the major property portals including Rightmove, Zoopla and On the Market. Given the auctioneer’s experience, they can make use of a “black book” of investors (and their specific criteria) as well as use social media and email campaigns to reach potential buyers.
They use traditional and “offline” methods for the auction which may include auction sale boards, brochures and local marketing through their estate agency partners.
McHugh & Co Auctions hold open houses/ viewings before the residential auction with registered buyers. These are held 3 to 4 weeks before the auction begins. Viewings are usually managed by McHugh and Co.’s network of estate agents.
Remember also that the premium will be added to your gross stamp duty calculation as it’s deemed as being the total cost of the property.
If the property fails to sell at auction, McHugh & Co. Auctions will often agree to extend the contract or enter the lot at the next auction for no additional cost.
Sellers should always review feedback to find out why it didn’t sell at residential auction. It might be the case the reserve was too high or insufficient interest. It’s worth reviewing the price and type of auction.
McHugh & Co Auctions runs monthly property auctions and largely offers non-conditional (and sometimes conditional) online auctions.
Lists of upcoming auction events from the auction house:
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