The verdict in three sentences
For an auction house in London, a serious website costs between £20,000 and £45,000 in 2026, depending on catalogue volume and the depth of integration with live bidding platforms. The website is not meant to replace the-saleroom, Easylive or Drouot Digital: it must import your catalogues cleanly, capture absentee bids and consignors, then send bidders to the live room. Plan for 10 weeks and define your lot import format on day one.
What the website must do, and what it should leave to platforms
In 2026, 48% of buyers at a regional or mid-size auction house bid remotely (live online, absentee bid, telephone). Specialist platforms handle real-time bidding very well, with their own base of approved bidders. Rebuilding that engine is expensive and adds nothing. Your website must carry your brand, your specialisms (Old Masters, furniture, jewellery, wine) and your consignors.
The useful building blocks are catalogue import (CSV or XML exported from your auction management software), lot pages with high-resolution photos and zoom, an absentee bid form with card pre-registration, a "Request a valuation" module feeding your consignment pipeline, and a direct link to the sale on the live platform.
| Feature | 2026 range (ex VAT) | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Bespoke design and corporate pages | £6,000 to £10,000 | Essential |
| Catalogue import (400 lots per sale) | £4,000 to £9,000 | Essential |
| Lot pages with zoom and HD gallery | £2,500 to £5,000 | Essential |
| Online absentee bids with card authorisation | £3,500 to £7,500 | Strongly advised |
| Valuation request form with photos | £1,200 to £3,000 | Strongly advised |
| Link and widget to the-saleroom or Drouot Digital | £1,200 to £3,500 | Essential |
| Buyer area (history, alerts by specialism) | £1,600 to £7,000 | Optional |
The low end (£20,000) is a clean website with CSV import and simple absentee bids. The high end (£45,000) includes personalised alerts, a buyer area and automatic sync every time the catalogue changes.
Three budget scenarios for a London saleroom
| Scenario | Budget (ex VAT) | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase + PDF catalogue | £9,000 to £14,000 | 5 weeks | House with 6 sales a year |
| Imported catalogue + absentee bids | £20,000 to £30,000 | 8 to 10 weeks | House with 15 to 25 sales a year |
| Full platform + buyer area | £32,000 to £45,000 | 10 to 12 weeks | House with catalogued sales and weekly general sales |
| Maintenance and hosting | £200 to £550 per month | Ongoing | All |
| Lot photography (external) | £10 to £18 per lot | Per sale | If no in-house photographer |
The most underestimated item is the import. A poorly structured 400-lot catalogue (descriptions in a single field, non-standard dimensions, randomly named photos) can double publishing time. Ask your supplier for an import template tested on a real sale before acceptance.
Regulatory points not to forget: display of terms of sale and buyer's premium (often 25 to 30% plus VAT), anti-money laundering checks for high-value buyers under UK rules for art market participants, UK GDPR policy for bidder data, and secure handling of card authorisations (never stored on your server, always held by the payment provider).
Mini case study
James, managing director of an auction house in London, runs 18 catalogued sales a year, averaging 400 lots each. Before the rebuild, his team spent 2 days per sale re-keying lots on the website, 36 days a year. With automated import, publishing drops to 3 hours per sale.
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Calculation: 36 days saved minus 7 residual days, so 29 days, at a loaded day cost of £320, equals about £9,300 per year. Add online absentee bids: 60 extra bids a year, with an average hammer price of £750 and a 25% buyer's premium, generate about £11,250 in premium. On a £30,000 project, payback lands around 15 months, before counting the consignments generated by the valuation form.
FAQ
Should we build our own live bidding engine?
No, in 95% of cases. A robust live engine costs more than £60,000 and would cut you off from the buyer base of the established platforms. The website should send bidders to the live sale and capture absentee bids upstream.
How long does it take to launch?
Allow 10 weeks on average: 2 weeks of scoping, 3 of design, 4 of development and import, 1 of testing. Plan a real 400-lot test sale before the official launch.
How do we secure absentee bids with a card?
Use a card authorisation through Stripe or a UK provider, with no immediate charge and no card number stored on your server. The cost is roughly 1.5% + 20p per transaction actually collected.
Can the website improve our search visibility in London?
Yes. Every indexed lot is a potential page for queries like "furniture auction London". A house publishing 7,000 lots a year creates a volume of content few competitors match.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
Between £200 and £550 a month depending on volume, including UK hosting, backups, security updates and support on imports.
Let's scope your project. Send us an export of your latest catalogue and your sale calendar: we will price the import, absentee bids and live integration for an indicative budget of £20,000 to £45,000 and a 10-week launch. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
