Why I built HomeStraight

The origin of HomeStraight was not based in monetary incentive. In fact, it was the result of the passing of a family member.

In March 2026, I lost my dear Nan. She was a wonderful woman and one of the most subtly witty people I’ve ever met. In some ways, I built HomeStraight as a tribute to her. But alas, PatriciaStraight was not quite as catchy.

After the initial mourning period subsided, my family began the daunting task of dealing with her estate. Whilst most of the proceedings were reasonably simple, we encountered the gargantuan task of selling her house. A universal experience for grieving families and executors.

As we began this process and started looking for estate agents, I was struck by how high the fees were. So much so, I made it my mission to research house selling as thoroughly as possible. All of this, only to find no discernible reason for the extreme cost. The clearer it became that using estate agents was an outdated and costly method of house-selling — and that many were taking advantage of sellers at vulnerable times.

For years we have blindly accepted the necessity for estate agents as a societal norm that no-one really ever questions. But in reality, the only part of house selling that requires a professional is the conveyancing — the legal transfer handled by a solicitor. Everything else can be done by the seller. What was missing was simply a place to advertise your home.

From this came an epiphany. Why not make a marketplace where for minimal cost, people can display and sell their own homes?

And thus began the creation of HomeStraight and my personal journey to challenge the way we sell our homes.