National Homebuyers Reviews

Who Are National Homebuyers?

Sussex-based National Homebuyers began as a property investment company. They would buy undesirable properties, carry out renovations, and then resell them on the open market.

In the early 2000s, the company decided to develop a customer-facing service for UK homeowners. The company has been operating as National Homebuyers since 2006.

What services do National Homebuyers provide?

According to their website, National Homebuyers will buy any house and promise to make an offer for your property, regardless of condition or location.

They claim to buy every property directly.

What is the buying process for National Homebuyers?

National Homebuyers follow a similar process to most other ‘quick sale’ companies.

Step 1: At the point of enquiry, they will gather a range of information about your property and the surrounding area.

Step 2: After some further research on your property, you will be presented with a cash offer. You will usually receive this within around 7 days of initial contact.

Step 3: You have 14 days to accept National Homebuyers’ offer. If you do choose to accept it, National Homebuyers will instruct a survey of your property. They say you can expect the sale process to take around 4 weeks.

How much below market value do National Homebuyers offer?

It’s unclear what you should expect when it comes to National Homebuyers prices. They don’t appear to provide any direct information on this topic on their website, instead saying they will make the best offer they can for each property.

Their promise to buy any property means that their level of discount is likely to differ. Less desirable properties will undoubtedly have a larger discount applied.

National Homebuyers customer reviews

National Homebuyers Reviews Trustpilot
National Homebuyers Trustpilot review score: On Trustpilot, National Homebuyers have a customer review score of 4.3/5. This score is based on 490 reviews. Whilst 76% of reviews are 5-star, it’s worth noting that 13% of reviewers gave the company just 1 star. The main criticisms in customer reviews are around claims that National Homebuyers have been disingenuous in their marketing by implying they may be able to make an offer near the customer’s asking price. Several customers also suggest they have had their cash offer decreased at the last minute.

National Homebuyers Reviews Google
National Homebuyers Google review score: On Google, National Homebuyers have a customer score of 4.3/5. This is based on 180 reviews. Again, the main criticism appears to be around a lack of clarity, and perhaps intentional misleading regarding how much lower than market value they pay for properties.

Contact Us

0800 068 3366


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

Pros and Cons of National Homebuyers

Pros

  • UK-based company
  • Customer service team receive positive customer reviews
  • Well-established company

Cons

  • Several customer reviews mention offer being lowered at the last minute
  • It seems their initial offer is made before any internal inspection – this means offers are likely to be less accurate and more vulnerable to reductions after survey
  • Don’t appear to be members of any redress schemes such as The Property Ombudsman (TPO) or National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB)

Compare National Homebuyers with Quick Move

Quick Move Now National Homebuyers
Established since 1998 2004
Annual turnover £20.3 million £22 million across company group – it’s unclear how much of this has come from the direct buying and selling of properties.
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) No, it doesn’t look like National Homebuyers are part of any professional body or redress scheme.
Is the company registration number available on the website? Yes Yes

Is National Homebuyers legit? - Our verdict

National Homebuyers’ company accounts indicate that they are a genuine house buying company that purchases properties with their own cash funds.

The biggest criticism they face from customers who have used their service is around them lowering their cash offer throughout the sale process. One customer reported having their offer dropped from 80% of the company’s valuation figure to 45% on the day they were due to exchange contracts.

National Homebuyers don’t appear to do any internal property inspection until after their cash offer has been accepted. This means their initial offer is based on two factors: general market trends in the area and the homeowner’s subjective assessment of the property’s condition. What is ‘average condition’ to one homeowner may be ‘poor condition’ or ‘good condition’ to another. With this in mind, customer reviews suggesting offers are frequently lowered after inspection should come as little surprise. This, however, has the potential to leave homeowners with a great deal of uncertainty around budgeting for their onward plans and eliminates one of the main benefits of using a cash home buying company.

National Homebuyers Watchdog appearance

National Homebuyers did appear on Watchdog (a BBC consumer affairs programme) in the mid-2000s, accused of some rather unscrupulous tactics. Whilst their customer reviews suggest they now have some very happy customers, tales of them reducing their offers throughout the sale process will ring alarm bells for many homeowners considering using their service.

Are National homebuyers any good?

It’s important to remember that the homebuying industry is unregulated. National Homebuyers pass one of the big cash homebuying company assessments, in that they purchase properties with their own cash funds, but a lack of transparency and certainty about how much they pay for property is something homeowners should consider.

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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.