5 Tips about How much below market value do house buying companies offer You Can Use Today

Sell Your House Fast: A Guide to House Buying Companies

The UK property market can be unpredictable, with traditional sales often taking months to complete. If you need to sell your house fast, house buying companies offer a streamlined alternative, allowing you to bypass estate agent delays and hidden costs. These firms purchase properties directly for cash, often completing transactions within weeks rather than months.

But how do house buying companies operate, and are they the right choice for your situation? This guide covers everything you need to know.

Why Homeowners Choose to Sell Their House Fast

Financial Pressures and Urgent Circumstances

Rising interest rates and the increasing cost of living have left many homeowners struggling to keep up with mortgage payments. Unexpected financial difficulties, such as redundancy or debt, can create an urgent need to release property equity.

With traditional estate agent sales taking an average of 6-9 months, many homeowners opt for house buying companies to ensure a quick and guaranteed sale. Cash buyers eliminate the uncertainty of failed transactions, helping sellers avoid repossession and financial distress.

Life Events and Relocations

Life changes, such as divorce, separation, or job relocation, can create a pressing need to sell a property quickly. Selling a house fast enables individuals to settle financial matters, relocate for work, or downsize without prolonged delays.

For those dealing with probate property sales, house buying companies provide a stress-free alternative by handling legal paperwork and purchasing properties without requiring costly repairs or improvements.

Traditional Estate Agents vs. House Buying Companies

The Lengthy Estate Agent Process

Selling through an estate agent involves listing the property, arranging viewings, negotiating offers, and navigating a lengthy conveyancing process. The entire transaction can take up to nine months, with risks of deals falling through due to mortgage issues, chain breaks, or buyer withdrawals.

Hidden Costs in Traditional Sales

Selling a property through an estate agent incurs various costs, including:

• Estate agent fees (1-3% commission + VAT)
• Solicitor fees (£1,000+ for conveyancing)
• EPC certificate (mandatory before listing)
• Ongoing mortgage payments during the sale process
• Potential repair or renovation costs to make the property more appealing

The Faster Alternative: House Buying Companies

Unlike estate agent sales, property buying companies purchase homes directly for cash, ensuring completion within 7-28 days. This eliminates delays caused by mortgage approvals, property chains, and market fluctuations.

How House Buying Companies Work

Step 1: Initial Contact and Valuation

The process starts with an enquiry, where homeowners provide property details. The company then conducts an initial desktop valuation using market data and comparable sales.

Step 2: Cash Offer Within 24-48 Hours

A formal cash offer is made based on the property's condition and market trends. While offers typically range from 80-85% of market value, sellers save on estate agent fees, repairs, and holding costs.

Step 3: Solicitors and Surveys

Once the offer is accepted, the company instructs solicitors and surveyors to carry out due diligence. Unlike traditional sales, these transactions rarely fall through due to mortgage issues or survey complications.

Step 4: Completion in 7-28 Days

Sellers choose a convenient completion date, often within weeks. Funds are transferred directly upon completion, allowing homeowners to move forward without further delays.

Benefits of Selling to a House Buying Company

Speed and Certainty

With completion times as short as seven days, selling to a cash buyer is ideal for those facing repossession, relocating for work, or finalising probate sales quickly.

Sell in Any Condition

Unlike traditional buyers, house buying companies purchase properties in any state, including those with structural issues, damp, or subsidence. This eliminates the need for costly repairs or refurbishments before selling.

No Fees or Hidden Costs

Most reputable house buying firms cover legal and survey fees, meaning sellers avoid the typical expenses associated with estate agent sales. Additionally, there are no commissions or marketing costs.

Finding a Reputable House Buying Company

Check for NAPB Membership

The National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) ensures ethical standards in the quick house sale industry. NAPB members must also be registered with The Property Ombudsman (TPO), providing additional consumer protection.

Verify the Company's Financial Standing

A genuine cash buyer should have immediate funds available, rather than relying on mortgage approvals or investor chains. Request proof of funding before proceeding.

Read Reviews and Ask Key Questions

Research customer feedback and online reviews to gauge the company's reputation. Before agreeing to a sale, ask:

• Do they provide proof of funds?
• Are they NAPB and TPO members?
• Will they cover all legal fees?
• What is their average completion time?

Comparing Traditional Sales vs. House Buying Companies

Cost Breakdown Example

Sale Method	Market Value	Final Sale Price	Fees & Costs	Net Proceeds
Estate Agent	£100,000	£100,000	£10,000 (fees, mortgage, repairs)	£90,000
House Buying Company	£100,000	£80,000	£0 (no fees)	£80,000

Although house buying companies offer below market value, the absence of estate agent fees, legal costs, and mortgage repayments makes the financial comparison more balanced than it appears.

When is Selling to a House Buying Company Ideal?

Urgent Sales (Repossession, Probate, Relocation)

If facing repossession, a quick sale prevents negative credit impacts and legal action. Similarly, probate sales and job relocations often require a fast, hassle-free property transaction.

Problematic Properties (Structural Issues, Unmortgageable Homes)

Selling to a cash buyer removes the burden of repairing properties with subsidence, damp, or fire damage, which may otherwise struggle to sell on the open market.

Final Thoughts

Selling your house fast through a property buying company offers speed, certainty, and convenience. While offers are typically below market value, the absence of fees, mortgage payments, and repair costs makes this option financially viable for many homeowners.

By choosing a reputable, NAPB-registered company, sellers can avoid the stress of prolonged estate agent sales and secure a guaranteed cash sale within weeks. Whether facing financial difficulties, life changes, or property issues, house buying companies provide a practical solution for selling your house fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much below market value do house buying companies offer?

Typically, 80-85% of the market value. However, savings on fees and costs make the financial difference smaller than it first appears.

Do I have to pay any fees?

No, reputable house buying companies cover all legal and survey fees, ensuring no hidden costs.

How long does the process take?

Completion usually takes 7-28 days, depending on your requirements.

Can I sell a house that needs major repairs?

Yes, cash buyers purchase properties in any condition, including those with structural issues, subsidence, or damp problems.

Sell Your Home Quickly For Cash – Get a Cash Offer Today

Sell Your House Fast in Birmingham
Sell Your House Fast in Bradford
Sell Your House Fast in Bristol
Sell Your House Fast in Coventry
Sell Your House Fast in Leeds
Sell Your House Fast in Leicester
Sell Your House Fast in Liverpool
Sell Your House Fast in Manchester
Sell Your House Fast in Newcastle
Sell Your House Fast in Nottingham
Sell Your House Fast in Sheffield
Sell Your House Fast in Wolverhampton
Sell Your House Fast in Plymouth
Sell Your House Fast in Derby
Sell Your House Fast in Stoke
Sell Your House Fast in Preston
Sell Your House Fast in London



Enter “We Purchase Houses” companies in Jax. These corporations make all-hard cash offers, concentrating on residences That may be worn round the edges. It’s the type of possibility that permits you to quickly pocket the proceeds and press Perform on your next chapter without a hitch.

Get Free of charge Income Offer How long will the funds take to generally be in my account? We generally deposit cash within just seven days of your valuation being done. And after a sale is agreed, we deposit your account in just 24 hrs.

Though we won't ever publicly ‘identify and disgrace’ the bad guys (or communicate negatively about any personal enterprise for that matter), We are going to head out of our way that can help promote the good fellas.

And Should you have close ties towards the community, you could choose to sell on to an proprietor-occupant. "Possibly you would like to see another community, a younger relatives move in in place of a hedge fund buying your home and listing it on Airbnb," Rudolph claims. "There's some sentiment that goes into the decision."

Yet, your timeline to having hard cash may be a bit extended with Meridian Believe in. In Distinctive cases that “involve Intense urgency,” their website points out, an Specific closing could possibly be available in as very little as 10 small business days Once you indication the deal. Nonetheless, their regular closing time is provided as several weeks.

Need to investigate the top-agent alternative? HomeLight can website link you to definitely major property agents in your Jax market.

The payment we acquire from advertisers would not impact the suggestions or assistance our editorial group provides in our articles or blog posts or normally affect any from the editorial articles on Forbes Advisor. Although we work flat out to supply exact and up-to-date facts that we predict you'll discover appropriate, Forbes Advisor will not and can't promise that any details provided is entire and can make no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to your accuracy or applicability thereof. Here's an index of our companions who offer products which We have now affiliate back links for.

Selling to anyone you currently know—for instance a Good friend or Sell Your Home Fast member of the family—may take the guesswork away from the home-selling course of action and allow you to steer clear of shelling out an agent’s commission by using a for sale by owner (FSBO) house.

Fast House Sale From the Preliminary enquiry into the sale completing, and the money staying in your lender, we are able to Sell Your Home Fast finish the whole approach in as minimal as 7 days if required.

"The [Fast Sale business] is yet another area with the property sector where by there's no official regulatory framework.

Subsequent, we get 3 impartial area estate brokers’ in-person valuations. If their valuations vary to ours, we choose How much below market value do house buying companies offer the typical from the three for any ultimate hard cash offer.

The only other home visits essential might be the same old residence survey and EPC assessment (should you don’t have a legitimate EPC).

Buying Jax Homes is BBB accredited considering the fact that 2019 and has an A+ rating with the Business. On Google, Buying Jax Properties has earned a great 5 out of five-star rating with more than 240 opinions. Although it seems that several of the assessments talk to the opposite side of Nate and Nicholas’s enterprise — selling houses after they’re rehabbed — numerous Other people also speak to the hard cash-buying system.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, critiques or recommendations expressed in this post are Individuals in the Decide on editorial staff members’s by yourself, and also have not been reviewed, accepted or otherwise endorsed by any third party.