Bettermove Reviews

Who Are Bettermove?

Leeds-based Bettermove claim to offer bespoke quick sale solutions.

What services do Bettermove provide?

Bettermove’s website suggests they can either buy your property from you themselves or find a buyer for your property for their network of investors and pre-approved buyers.

What is the buying process for Bettermove?

Bettermove’s website outlines the following 5-step process for selling your property.

Step 1: Get in contact with Bettermove via telephone, WhatsApp, email or an online form.

Step 2: One of their team will get in contact to find out more about the property and your requirements.

Step 3: Bettermove will make an offer to buy your property or sell it on your behalf.

Step 4: They work to your timescales.

Step 5: The sale will complete and the money will be paid into your bank account.

How much below market value do Bettermove offer?

Bettermove’s website doesn’t explicitly state how much below market value they pay for property, but it does include an interactive tool that suggests you can expect to achieve around 90% of your property’s market value.

The tool feels a little misleading, however, as it appears to suggest that a typical estate agent will only be able to get you 87.5% of your property’s value. Property buying companies make a profit by buying property at a discount. They wouldn’t be able to make any profit on your property if they’re willing to pay more than you would achieve selling your property on the open market with a high street estate agent.

A genuine, reputable cash homebuying company will be transparent about how much they believe your property would sell for on the open market and provide evidence to support that figure. They will then discuss with you what level of discount they need to apply to your offer and why.

Bettermove customer reviews

Bettermove Reviews Trustpilot

Bettermove Trustpilot review score: Bettermove have a Trustpilot score of 4.5/5 based on 1,148 customer reviews.

The biggest complaints seem to be that the promised network of investors never materialised, and properties were just listed on Rightmove and Zoopla at a discounted price. This, they claim, damaged their future property sale prospects.

There are also questions around how quick an option Bettermove provide, with several customer reviews stating that their sale took significantly longer than expected. One customer said their sale took more than a year to complete.

A company will only be able to offer you any certainty around price and timescales if they are buying your property directly with their own cash funds.

Bettermove have responded to 33% of negative reviews left in the last 12 months, typically replying in 1 week or less. They have requested the removal of 14 reviews during that time, but Trustpilot found in favour of the reviewer in 8 of those cases. The remaining 6 cases were removed because the reviewer did not respond to Trustpilot.

Bettermove Reviews Google

Bettermove Google review score: We couldn’t find any Google reviews for Bettermove.

 

Bettermove Reviews Martin Lewis

Bettermove have been featured on Martin Lewis’ advice forum regarding threats from a credit agency and concerns about the legitimacy of buyers being asked to pay a reservation fee. This may raise concerns for homeowners.

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0800 068 3366


Quick Move Now Ltd
Unit 9,
Coped Hall Business Park,
Royal Wootton Bassett,
Swindon, SN4 8DP

Pros and Cons of Bettermove

Pros

  • UK-based company
  • Members of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB)
  • Bettermove have positive customer reviews that praise members of staff for being helpful and supportive

Cons

  • Customer reviews and company accounts suggest the majority of Bettermove’s business is selling properties on behalf of their owners rather than buying properties directly. A company is only able to offer you any guarantees around price and timescale if they are buying your property directly with their own cash funds.
  • Some of Bettermove’s less positive reviews talk about properties taking a long time to sell (one reviewer said their sale took more than a year) or not selling at all. Bettermove market themselves as a quick property sale service, but if they’re not purchasing your property directly your sale will be as vulnerable to chain issues and delays as any other open market sale.
  • A significant number of customer reviews complain that the promised network of investors never materialised, and their their property was simply advertised on Rightmove and Zoopla at a heavily reduced price. This created an online ‘footprint’ of the property being advertised at a reduced price and meant property owners were not able to advertise their properties at true market value if Bettermove were unsuccessful in finding a buyer for the property.
  • Several customer reviews mention being tied in with contracts and option agreements. This is something that you should always avoid when selling to a property buying company. You can read more about these types of agreements here.

Compare Bettermove with Quick Move

Quick Move Now Bettermove
Established since 1998 Bettermove was bought by its current owners in February 2019.
Annual turnover £20.3 million As a small company, Bettermove do not have to publish their annual turnover. The financial information they have made public suggests they do not have the funds available to buy any significant number of properties without sourcing third-party funding from investors or mortgages.
Are they a member of any professional associations or redress schemes? Yes, Quick Move Now are members of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) Yes, Bettermove are members of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) but not the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB).
Is the company registration number available on the website? Yes Yes

Is Bettermove legit? - Our verdict

Bettermove are members of the NAPB and TPO, which is a good sign. They also have some very positive customer reviews, but it seems most customers are reviewing an online estate agency service rather than a direct cash homebuying service. The company’s accounts also suggest that they are unable to buy a significant number of properties without relying on external funding from investors or mortgages.

As we’ve already mentioned, your property being sold to a third-party (investors or buyers on the open market) means you will have no certainty around timescales or what price you’ll achieve from the sale. Bettermove state on their website that they will agree a price with you and then anything they achieve from the sale above that amount is kept by them as payment for their services. However, more than one customer review suggested that this agreed amount was renegotiated when the company struggled to sell the property.

There’s also a lack of clarity around how much you can expect to achieve for your property with this method of sale. The website suggests their service enables you to sell your property for free, but this is a little misleading. Their model suggests there aren’t any fees to pay for their service, but selling your property at a discount does come at a cost to you so we would questions whether the service can be described as ‘free’. Their website also suggests they will pay more than you would achieve through a high street estate agent, which again feels a little misleading.

 

Are Bettermove any good?

Bettermove seem to have a significant number of happy customers based on their reviews, but unless you opt for their direct cash homebuying service it’s unclear how their service differs from other online estate agencies. One customer described their service as “just an estate agent at 3 times the cost.”

There are also questions regarding how quick their service is. Bettermove market themselves as a quick sale solution, but this doesn’t appear to have been the case for a number of customers. One said: “My property was sold by Bettermove during a one day viewings and then took 6 months of countless calls and chasing up to eventually get my contracts to completion”.

If you’re in need of a quick or guaranteed property sale, your best option is always going to be to  sell to a genuine cash homebuying company who will buy your property directly with their own cash funds. Any company relying on investors, mortgages or third-party buyers is going to be vulnerable to chain-breaks, delays and renegotiations.

If a cash homebuying service won’t work for you, your next best option is likely to be pricing your property competitively with a local high street estate agent. Whilst this won’t offer the speed or certainty of selling to a genuine cash homebuying company, their local knowledge will ensure you achieve a good price for your property.

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FAQ's

  • How quickly can you buy my house?

    Quick Move Now can buy your property in as little as 7 days.

    We buy every property directly with our own cash funds. This means we’re able to provide a speed and certainty that cannot be matched by any other method of sale.

    Find out more about our simple house buying process here

  • How quickly can you make me an offer?

    Quick Move Now will be able to make you an indicative offer within a few hours and aim to get a formal offer out to you within 48 hours of property appraisal.

    Read more on how much we pay and why

  • How will you value my property?

    Quick Move Now carry out a full in-depth market appraisal. This will include valuations by independent local estate agents and a thorough assessment of the local property market. We are always honest and transparent about how we reach our figures and the evidence provided during the local estate agent valuation.

  • How much will you pay for my property?

    You can expect any genuine cash buying company to pay 80-85% of market value.

    Quick Move Now do not work to set discounts as we assess each property on it’s individual merit, but we will always make you the best offer we can.

  • Why do you buy at a discount?

    As a business, it is impossible for Quick Move Now to pay full market value for your property. This will be the same for any genuine cash home-buying company. Our discount covers several business expenses, including:

    • Higher level stamp duty
    • Legal fees
    • Business overheads
    • Cost of ownership

  • How do I know the offer is fair?

    Our formal offers are based on local independent estate agent valuations.

    As founding members of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB), honesty and transparency are integral to our business. Quick Move Now are also monitored by The Property Ombudsman and always follow their Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies.

  • Will you carry out a survey before making me a cash offer?

    Quick Move Now do not carry out a property survey until our offer has been accepted (as with any open market sale).

  • How do I know you won’t change your offer at the last minute?

    All our formal offers are subject to survey. A serious structural issue found at the point of survey would be the only circumstance in which we would ever reduce our formal offer, but this is very unlikely and happens very rarely.

    Because Quick Move Now never ties you into using our services, if we are forced to reduce our offer you will be free to walk away without any cost or obligation.

  • Another company has made me a better offer. Will you match it?

    There are many companies claiming to be genuine companies who do not have the funds to buy your property directly. These companies will make you an attractive offer to tie you in, ask you to sign a contract, and then reduce their offer. It’s not usual for these companies to end up paying around 50-60% of market value.

    Quick Move Now put a lot of time and effort into assessing properties to ensure the offer we make you is fair, but we are always happy to speak to you if you have received a higher offer from another company.

    We’ve also gathered information on some of the most recognised names in the quick house sale industry which you may find helpful.

  • Do you charge any fees for your property buying service?

    No. Quick Move Now never charge any fees for our property buying service.

  • What’s the process for selling a property to Quick Move Now?

    Quick Move Now's property buying service includes 4 simple steps:

    1. Contact our team and provide some basic property information to receive an initial indicative offer.
    2. After an independent valuation, we’ll make you a free, no-obligation formal cash offer.
    3. If you choose to accept our formal cash offer, you will decide on your sale completion date.
    4. On your chosen completion date, the sale will complete and the money will be transferred to you.

  • Do you buy directly or will you connect me with investors?

    Quick Move Now only buy directly with our own cash funds. Any company that connects you with investors will be unable to offer any guarantees around price or timescale.

  • Will you need to visit my property in order to make me a cash offer?

    To make the best offer possible, we usually require a local estate agent to visit and complete an appraisal of your property.

    This is a short visit and will be arranged at a time to suit you.

    The only other property visits required would be the usual property survey and EPC assessment (if you don’t have a valid EPC).

  • Will there be lots of paperwork to sign?

    No, the paperwork you will be required to sign is the same to what you'd encounter in a traditional open market sale

  • Will I be tied in with a contract?

    Absolutely not! Quick Move Now NEVER ask our customers to sign anything that ties them into using us.

    We strongly advise customers to avoid any tie-in contracts or agreements. Companies that use these types of contracts are usually brokers rather than genuine cash buyers. This means they will try to connect you with investors or open market buyers, but will be unable to offer you any certainty around price or timescale. This removes all benefits associated with selling to a genuine cash home buyer, which are the speed and certainty they can offer.

    As with any property sale, there will be the usual legal property transfer documents for you to sign, but these will be drawn up by your solicitor, not the company.

  • How do I know Quick Move Now are genuine cash homebuyers?

    The easiest way to assess whether a company is buying properties directly is to check their company accounts on Companies House – the government register of companies.

    Lots of companies claim to be able to buy your property directly, but they should have accounts to back this up. If you need help with this, you can check out our ‘quick sale’ company review pages.

    Quick Move Now are transparent all the way through the process. Every property we buy is bought directly with our own cash funds and we are always happy to provide proof of funds so you know we have the money available to make good on our promises. We are a founding member of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and are monitored by The Property Ombudsman.

  • Are Quick Move Now regulated?

    No, despite Quick Move Now's best efforts the entire property-buying industry remains unregulated. Any company that suggests otherwise should be avoided. We are founding members of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and are monitored by The Property Ombudsman.

  • How long do I have to consider the cash offer?

    Quick Move Now's formal cash offers are valid for 7 days. If you need longer to think about it, that’s not a problem. We will simply need to do a quick reassessment of the local property market to ensure nothing has changed before we reconfirm the offer to you.

  • If I accept your offer, how long will it take to complete?

    If you accept our formal offer, you will be in complete control of the timescales. You simply tell us which date you’d like the sale to complete, and we’ll do the rest! Quick Move Now can buy in as little as 7 days if required.

  • Will I have one point of contact at Quick Move Now or have to speak to lots of different people?

    When you first contact Quick Move Now, you will speak to one of our friendly, helpful Client Account Managers. They will help to assess whether our service is the right fit for your circumstances.

    Once you reach the point of receiving a formal offer from us, you will be passed on to our Purchasing Director, who will then support you all the way through to sale completion.

    Read more about our friendly and dedicated purchasing team here

  • How quickly will I receive my payment?

    The money will be transferred on the day your sale completes, which can be as quickly as 7 days after offer acceptance if required.

    Quick Move Now can pay a deposit on exchange of contracts to assist with your moving costs, if that’s something you would find helpful.

  • Will I need a solicitor?

    Yes, you will need to instruct a solicitor to act on your behalf. Quick Move Now can either recommend a reputable solicitor or you may choose your own.

  • What happens if I have a mortgage or other loan on my property?

    As long as the sale price covers your outstanding mortgage and any loans on the property, this won’t be a problem.

    All money is handled through your solicitor, who will ensure the outstanding mortgage and any other secured debts are repaid from the proceeds of the sale. Your solicitor will then transfer the remaining balance to your account.

  • What type of property can you buy?

    Quick Move Now can buy all different types of residential properties. From 1-bedroom flats to large detached family homes.

    Find out more about what we buy here

    Unfortunately, we do not currently buy age-restricted properties.

  • My property is in poor condition. Will you still buy it?

    As long as your property is structurally sound and mortgageable, Quick Move Now can still make you an offer. This means you don’t have to worry about decorating or DIY before you sell.

  • Can you buy anywhere in the UK?

    We currently buy properties in any area of England or Wales. Unfortunately, Quick Move Now do not buy properties in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

  • Will the sale be discreet?

    Yes, it will. There will be no ‘for sale’ signs or online property listings. The only people who will know about the sale will be those directly involved with it.

  • Can I sell to Quick Move Now if I’m already on the market with an estate agent?

    Yes, you can. You’ll need to check the terms of your contract with the estate agent, but this is something Quick Move Now can help you with.

  • I’m about to be repossessed. Is it too late to sell to Quick Move Now and stop the repossession?

    Quick Move Now buy directly with our own cash funds, meaning we’re able to step in at the last minute to stop repossessions. As long as your lender is satisfied the mortgage arrears and outstanding debt will be cleared by an agreed date, they can stop the repossession order.

    This means you can avoid the usual financial repercussions of having a property repossession on your financial record.

  • Can Quick Move Now buy tenanted properties?

    Quick Move Now require properties to be vacant at the point of sale, but we can make an offer while your property is tenanted.

    If you want to accept our offer, you will need to ensure your tenant moves out before we exchange contracts.

  • Can you buy ex-local authority properties?

    Yes. Quick Move Now are happy to consider ex-local authority properties.

  • Are there any situations in which Quick Move Now can’t make an offer on a property?

    Some circumstances would prevent Quick Move Now from being able to make an offer, including:

    • Unmortgageable properties
    • Properties where we’re unable to accurately ascertain market value
    • Where the property owner is unable to ensure the property will be vacant by exchange of contracts
    • If there are other factors that make a property unreasonably high-risk for us to re-sell
  • I’m not in a rush. Can I still sell my property to Quick Move Now?

    Absolutely. Homeowners use Quick Move Now's home buying service for two distinct benefits: speed and certainty. We can guarantee the sale of your current property, whether you’re looking to move in 2 weeks or 2 months! You choose the date you want the sale to complete and we will work to your timescales.

  • What will happen to my property after I sell it to Quick Move Now?

    Once Quick Move Now has bought your property, we will look to re-sell it on the open market. This means we will take on all of the uncertainty around price and timescale that our service enables you to avoid.

  • Is my personal data safe with Quick Move Now?

    Absolutely. Quick Move Now take data protection very seriously. We will only pass your personal details on to parties relevant to your property sale, eg. surveyors and solicitors. You will be kept informed at each step of the process.

  • How do I make a complaint?
    Quick Move Now are committed to providing excellent service. If you're unhappy, please let us know. Click here to view our complaints procedure.

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