How to sell your house fast

The fastest way to sell a house is to a house buying company.  This is because they have the cash to make you an immediate offer and the expertise to complete the sale in any timescale.  They work with solicitors and surveyors who can progress the sale quickly, without compromising on quality.  You can complete the sale in a matter of weeks, not months, but you will get less for your property than you would selling on the open market.

Genuine house buying companies will usually make an offer on any property.  There are some exceptions where an individual company may not want to buy a property, but they will usually still make an offer (it just might be lower).  The exception to this is often ‘flats’.  This is due to the additional costs, risks and challenges associated with a leasehold sale.  As house buying companies want to buy and sell property quickly they are less keen on leasehold property.

A genuine company will make you a cash offer without any strings attached or tie-ins.  The offer may only be available for a limited time, but you should always be able to make your mind up in your own time and without any pressure being applied.  If you choose not to sell then you can walk away without any fees to pay or any consequences.  Getting a cash offer from a house buying company is often a good ‘plan B’ in case you fail to sell on the open market.

Genuine house buying companies should not charge any fees.  The will pay the survey costs and will even pay your legal fees (if you use the solicitor they recommend).  They prefer you to use the recommended solicitor as the company will have had dealings with that solicitor and will be more confident that the sale can complete quickly.  The appointed solicitor will work for you, and look after your best interests, but the advantage of using the recommended one is that the house buying company will have used them several times in the past.

Each company will have its own underwriting approach, but usually it involves relying on data from sites like Rightmove and various property information portals, combined with the views of local estate agents, the strength of the local property market, and any property specific information that you are able to provide (like internal photos).  This helps the company build up a picture of your property and work out what to offer you in return for a quick, cash sale.

Yes.  All house buying companies will make you an offer below the market value – this is typically between 80% to 85% of the market value of your house.

A genuine house buying company will be a member of The Property Ombudsman and National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB).  These both have codes of conduct that the company must abide by.  The company will also have a complaints policy that you can use if unhappy with their service.  The company should never put you under any pressure to sell and be able to provide you with any reassurance you need over the credibility of the company, its past trading history and provide proof of funds to show it has the money to buy your property.

The only way to guarantee a sale in a week is to sell to a house buying company.  They are the only route that can progress the sale in this timescale.  All other routes will take longer and/or involve the risk of the sale falling through or taking significantly longer than you want.  If you do want to sell using an estate agent the best thing you can do is to get your house and paperwork in order before approaching an estate agent, and ask them “what is the best price I can get if I need to complete the sale in a week”, not “what is my house worth”.

No, you can sell your house without using an estate agent. Selling directly to a house buying company or selling at auction are two alternative ways to sell.

A cash sale for a house can go through in as little as a week, if you sell to a professional house buying company. This is because you don’t have to wait for your buyer to get a mortgage (or other funding) in place.  House buying companies work with solicitors and surveyors who are focused on providing quick results for their customers (without compromising on quality).

Nothing! One of the key benefits of selling to a house buying company is that you can sell your house exactly as it is. No repairs, no redecorating, no decluttering, no gardening, no cleaning required.

Yes, you will need to appoint a solicitor to act on your behalf. Selling your house is a significant transaction and you need someone to make sure your interests are being looked after.

If you are selling to a house buying company then they will recommend a solicitor from their panel – and will pay your legal fees if you use them.  This is common practice in this sector of the market.  The benefit to the seller is that there are no fees to pay and the solicitor will work quickly, and the benefit to the house buying company is that they know how the solicitor works and will be confident they can complete a quick sale.  Whilst you are free to choose your own solicitor, the risk with this is that they don’t work as quickly as you need them to.  Many house sales take significantly longer due to the slow pace at which some solicitors work.

Yes, you can. It is one way that you can clear your debts and help you get your finances back on track.

Selling to a house buying company is the quickest and most reliable way to sell a house. A genuine property buying company will be able to buy your house for cash in as little as 7 days.

No, you don’t. We will buy your house ‘as is’. You don’t need to do any repairs, redecorate or even do any tidying or cleaning! This can save you a lot of time, effort, money and stress.

Our progression team will be in close contact with you throughout the sale process. If you need to move the completion date, we will always do our best to be flexible and work to your deadlines. After all, it’s your house and we want to buy it!

If you have the luxury of being able to choose when you sell, the best months in the UK are March, April and May (with March being the quickest) and the worst are August and December.

A more relevant question is how quickly you need to sell, as this will determine the best approach to take.

On the day of completion, after some final legal checks, our solicitor will transfer money to your solicitor. They will then settle any mortgage payment due and the remaining money will be paid into your bank account.

We will arrange with you for the keys to your property to be dropped off at a local estate agent. And that’s it!