Companies That Buy Houses

What is a house buying company?

Genuine property purchasing companies will be able to offer you a guaranteed property sale on a date of your choice. They use their own cash funds to purchase your property directly. Not relying on a mortgage or investors means they can be flexible about how quickly they buy your property. A legitimate house buying company should be able to complete the sale in just a week if required.

House buying companies will always need to buy property at a discount – that’s how they make a profit – so any home buying sites claiming to be able to buy your house at 90% and upwards shouldn’t be trusted. Any property purchasing company offering 90% or more is like to be acting as a broker or lead generator, connecting you with property investors. Why is that a problem? Because anyone whose business model is to connect you with property investors is unable to give you any assurances around how quickly they can buy your house or how much they can pay. Companies like this usually operate by tying you into a contract whilst they find a buyer for your property. Once they find a buyer, you will be made a formal offer, but this offer is often substantially lower than the initial figure you were quoted.

A genuine house buying company will never make you sign a contract or charge you any fees for their service. In order to avoid falling victim to any rogue traders, we’ve collected information about some of the biggest and most prominent quick house sale companies in the UK to aid you in choosing which one is best.

Quick Move Now is the UK's original and largest property buying company. Established in 1998, Quick Move Now has bought more than 6,000 properties, at a value of £1 billion. We assess each property individually, and therefore don't have a set discount that is applied, but will usually be able to pay between 80% and 85% of market value.

What we give you in return is a guaranteed, quick and hassle-free house sale.

Can you trust companies that buy properties?

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the industry around companies that buy houses remains unregulated. This means that there is very little protection for home sellers who fall prey to bogus traders claiming to be a genuine sell house fast company.

When engaging with property purchase companies, these are the red flags to look out for to avoid falling victim to rogue traders:

• They over-promise on their initial offer
• They ask you to sign a contract
• They ask you to pay a fee – either upfront or on completion
• They are unable to complete the sale on the date of your choice
• They drop their agreed offer price at the last minute
• They introduce a third party as a buyer
• They don’t have the accounts to back up their claims
• You have concerns about whether their property cash buyers reviews are genuine
• They claim to be a regulated property buying company
• They provide you with an instant online cash offer

Read more here about how to make sure you are dealing with a reputable house buying company.

In the absence of any official regulation, we have always been keen to support professional bodies that aim to raise industry standards. We are registered with The Property Ombudsman and are members of the British Property Federation. We are also one of the founding members of the National Association of Property Buyers – the only professional association focused solely on the professional home buying industry.

Reasons you may sell your home to a property buying company

There are many reasons sellers choose to use companies that buy houses rather than sell their property the traditional way. These include:

House sale fallen through

Unfortunately, around one in three property sales will fall through before completion. If you have experienced the heartbreak of a property chain break, a reputable house buying company can provide a guaranteed quick house sale and get you moving.

Selling a rental property

If you’re worried about the costly vacant periods associated with selling a former buy to let property on the open market, a property buying company can help by providing a fast house sale. Being in control of the timescales means you can choose for the sale to complete on the day your tenant moves out.

Inherited property

If you’ve inherited a property, you may not feel you have the time or energy to embark on the often-lengthy process of selling it on the open market. This is made even more challenging if you don’t live near the inherited property. A home buying company can remove the stress and buy your property in as little as 7 days.

Financial difficulties

If you are facing financial difficulties and considering selling your house to pay off debt, a company that buys houses may be able to help. A formal cash offer from a property buying company may even be used to halt a repossession order.

Downsizing

If you’re considering downsizing in order to release some of the money tied up your property, a house buying company can offer you a quick and stress-free sale to tie in with the purchase of your next home.

Divorce

Selling your house after a divorce or relationship breakdown can be incredibly stressful. A fast house sale service can give you the freedom to move on much more quickly than a sale on the open market.

Relocation

Whether you’re relocation for work, to be closer to family, or to embark on a new adventure, a genuine property buying company can offer a quick house sale that fits around your plans. Able to complete the house sale on a date of your choice, you can time your move with your onward plans.

Illness

If you’re having to move due to illness, you may be looking for an easy alternative to selling your house on the open market. A fast house sale service can offer you a private, stress-free sale on a date of your choice.

Don’t want the hassle

It currently takes an average of 10 viewings to sell a property. If you simply don’t want the hassle of property viewings, estate agent negotiations and a lengthy conveyancing process, a quick house sale to a company that buys houses could be the stress-free route you’re looking for.

Getting an estimate from Quick Move Now is quick and easy.

We just need to ask you a few simple questions about your property, which will take a few minutes over the phone or via email. All estimates are cost and obligation-free, there are no aggressive sales tactics and all your information is safe and secure.

Get a cash offer

How quick house sale companies work

One question you may be asking is why a sale to a house buying company is so much quicker than a sale on the open market.

Selling to a company that buys houses means you have a guaranteed buyer, so you don't need to spend months on the market. Buying with our own cash funds means we're able to avoid the usual hold-ups connected to mortgage applications. We also work with some of the UK's best conveyancing solicitors who are used to working to tight deadlines and are committed to completing the legal sale process to meet the customer's timescales.

It takes over 20 weeks of your personal time to actively sell your home via the open market. Selling directly to Quick Move Now, only takes one week!

We work with some of the UK’s best conveyancing solicitors. They are all used to working to tight deadlines and committed to meeting your chosen sale completion date.

Why sell to Quick Move Now

Quick Move Now is the UK's original and largest home buying company. Established in 1998, we have bought and sold more than 6,000 properties over the last 25 years.

We are founding members of the National Association of Property Buyers and have campaigned for many years to raise standards in the property buying industry.

We have testimonials from hundreds of happy customers, and many of our customers have used our services more than once, so you can feel confident that we're a company you can trust.

Our property buying service offers you amazing flexibility. Whether you need to complete in a week because your property sale has fallen through, or are moving to a new build home that will be ready in 2 months, we will work to your timescales and have the money in your account when you need it.

Simply put, our credentials make us the best company to buy your house for cash!

As a business, it is impossible for us to pay full market value. However, our customers choose Quick Move Now because they believe the guaranteed sale we are uniquely placed to offer is a more attractive option than the hassle and uncertainty that comes with selling on the open market.

A genuine property buying company will always pay below market value, in exchange for a no-risk, guaranteed house sale, where you are in complete control of the timescales.

We know that how much we can pay for your property is an important part of your decision-making process, which is why we assess each property on an individual basis and always make the highest offer we can. We understand that selling your house is a big decision and don’t want you to feel rushed, so we guarantee that our cash offer is made without any cost, obligation or 'hard sell'.

Alternatives to companies that buy property

If you're looking for a quick and guaranteed sale, a genuine company that buys houses will offer a service that can't be matched. However, if you can't afford to accept less than market value for the sale of your property, these are some other options.

Sell on the open market:

Selling your house using a high street estate agent is the traditional and most common way people choose to sell a property. It is also the best way to achieve the highest price for your property. However, it’s not a particularly quick or reliable way to sell. On average it takes 5-7 months to sell a house via this route and around a third of all open market property sales will fall through before completion. Slow and failed property sales can be both expensive and upsetting.

Property auction:

If the property you are selling is likely to be difficult to mortgage (e.g., structural issues or leasehold with less than 100 years remaining on the lease), you might want to consider selling it at auction. Property auctions tend to attract investors and those looking for a renovation project who may be more likely to be able to purchase without a mortgage.

Private property sale:

Trying to sell your house privately is an option if you want to avoid estate agency costs and feel confident that you could attract a buyer on your own. You should consider, however, that finding a buyer privately means you will need to take on all the tasks usually carried out by an estate agent. This will include marketing the property yourself, conducting viewings, negotiating a sale, and working with your solicitor to progress the sale to completion. So, whilst it is a cheaper alternative to selling via an estate agent, it is a very time-intensive option and can be stressful if you do not have a lot of experience of selling a property.

FAQ's