What are the Best Property Websites Outside of Rightmove & Zoopla?

Functionality

Design

Information

Originality

Find a Hood is a real estate website that focuses on the local statistics of the neighbourhood as its unique selling point. It covers in detail statistics such as crime rates, school pass rates, citizen demographics and more. It could be more pleasing to the eye and a little better design but overall the concept is great for buyers looking to relocate or get some useful facts about where they are planning to move. The information is very interesting, it states that is sourced from reputable places like the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education, however if there was a date sited alongside it would inspire more confidence in the reliability of the data.

Property Network is a social version of a real estate websites using mainly Facebook. It uses your socially indicated interests to generate a list of recommendations of areas or properties that are suited to you. You are even able to see information about current or future neighbours (although this data is anonymous so you will see stats with no names etc.) It is quite an easy to use platform with a modern design, it may be an innovative way forward for the real estate industry.

Find Properly is a London focused real estate website that is designed to help you find the right property for you based on places you regularly visit, how much council tax you are willing to pay, how popular the area is with different groups of people and more. As it is London focused it includes commuting details like cycling and the tube, and the maximum commuting times to a certain location such as your place of work. The website is currently limited to London alone however it is powered by Zoopla so we wouldn’t be surprised if it were to expand in future. The site provides its desired function extremely well with a step-by-step process with a nice design which ties in local Yelp information for better user experience.

White Hot Property specialise in ‘chain free’ property that has been repossessed, have a public notice/ incentive and investment properties. Essentially they are selling the idea that you can grab a house for a bargain. It is a well laid out website with a simple navigation. You can easily find the search box for properties and the properties are well presented on the results page. It is a big advantage to be able to see if a property has sold below its asking price. Properties found here can be good investments or projects, but there is limited stock to choose from.

Unmodernised is a property website that is designed to help you find ‘fixer-uppers’ so that you can make a better profit on your investment. This is very ideal for people willing to put in the effort to do work to a property but probably not for people looking to settle in straight away. The site boasts many handy features such as live property news, an ‘ask the experts’ page and the ability to download some Unmodernised apps for your mobile. Overall the website provides its intended service quite well. The properties on Unmodernised all have possible development potential, which is ideal for property developers looking to take on a serious project.

The Modern House focuses on unique architecture properties that offer wonderful design. The website is very simple in design, as you land on the home page you get four featured properties in a one-page view. Properties range in prices and cover the entire UK, as well as including a section where you are able to rent holiday homes which stick to the theme of wonderful architecture and design. The blog on the site features things like the ‘house of the day’ which shows some very interesting looking properties. The Modern House is easy to use (as you would expect from a design focused website!) and has a depth of information about the properties it holds, which makes for a great user experience for the niche being targeted.

On the market is a property portal which is aimed at a broad market. It combines property sales, lettings and information around property prices based on any location you search in the UK. The design is very simple with a centrally placed search box on each page. The design is very smooth and you are clearly directed around the site. The filter is detailed but simple to use allowing you to narrow your search effectively. You are provided with all the relevant information on the property pages including maps, floorplans and EPC certificates.

Houser is a property portal which has a more visual categorised approach on top of the usual search bar function. It allows users to browse and select areas which slowly narrows down the search for those who just don’t know what they want. You are also able to see properties which are up and coming to the market. One feature that is very nice is the gallery pages, which showcases images categorised into the type of room they are. This is great for inspiration if you aren’t sure what you are looking for. The design and functionality in the main property search is relatively similar to other portals, however the page is laid out differently with the maps viewable immediately and other information further down the page.

Home.co.uk is a simplistic property portal that provides a host of functions that others do not. The functions include things like mortgage quotes, removals quotes and surveyors quotes to provide added value for the user. Included is also the location maps and information about local schools.

Whathouse.com is a modern designed portal which has a large variety of functions and advice columns which really benefit the user. I is a bit of a one-size fits all website as they bring functions like the standard property sales and rent search, property values, and a directory for suppliers when you are moving home, looking for finance and tradesmen for home improvements. There is also a healthy amount of information and how-to’s for your property needs.

As you may have guessed from the title of the website, Smart New Homes specialises in new homes and developments. The site makes use of government incentives and special offers such as new buy, help to buy and shared ownership with all of their properties. The design and functionality works mostly in a similar way to other property portals with the search appearing on the home page with filters like price, type and location.

As you may have guessed from the title of the website, Smart New Homes specialises in new homes and developments. The site makes use of government incentives and special offers such as new buy, help to buy and shared ownership with all of their properties. The design and functionality works mostly in a similar way to other property portals with the search appearing on the home page with filters like price, type and location.