If you need to sell your house fast using a ‘We Buy Any House’ company can be a good idea. But before you make an enquiry, it is worth doing your research.
With so many ‘we buy any home’ style companies on the internet, you need to ensure they are legitimate because so many ‘fake cash buyers want to scam sellers.
How does ‘we buy any house‘ work? This article will help you understand how ‘we buy any house’ companies operate, by breaking down what they do, their target audience, why you should consider selling your house to them, where they are active, how reliable they are, and how to determine a legitimate home buying company.
Let us begin.
Table of Contents
What is a ‘we buy any house’ company?
‘We Buy Any House’ is a generic term that is used to describe house-buying companies also known as companies that purchase property for cash, drastically reducing the amount of time it takes to sell.
These companies offer a quicker turnaround than estate agents; a few have even adopted the phrase as a business brand. We Buy Any Home, and We Buy Any House are companies that use the phrase in their branding. ‘We Buy Any House’ company describes the activities of a property-buying business that will purchase your home for a cash value, with a very quick turnaround that estate agents or auctions can’t match.
A property-buying company like Property Saviour is one of these businesses. We offer a quick sale method that enables you to sell your house for cash, with lots of real seller reviews and support throughout the process.
Many of these so-called ‘cash buyers’ are borrowing money from lenders, which means delays with two estate agents coming around your house to ‘survey’ and lenders changing their minds if a property is deemed unmortgageable. So it is important to look up this information on the Companies House website. Look out for charges against their company, and all will be revealed.
If you need certainty and speed then you need to deal with a genuine cash buyer such as us.
Is it worth selling house to company?
Selling your house to a home-buying company can offer certainty and speed, but it often comes at a lower sale price than selling with an estate agent.
This is because the company buying your home will be looking for a profit, so it can’t pay you full market value. You should consider:
- How important are urgency and certainty of sale to you?
- What are market conditions like, and how long does it take to sell a house?
- What are your financial needs? For example, do you need to sell quickly to avoid repossession, pay a big tax bill or settle an inherited estate?
What areas of the UK do ‘we buy any house’ companies operate in?
Most ‘We Buy Any House’ companies operate across England, Scotland and Wales.
How to tell if 'we buy any home' company is a scam?
There are several tell-tale 7 signs to identify a scam. These include:
- An offer that’s too good to be true often close to market value;
- Estate agents being sent around to ‘value your home’ almost certainly indicates that they may be buying with a bridging loan
- Exclusivity agreement that enables them to flip your property or advertise it online for others to buy.
- Insisting that you use ‘their recommended solicitors’
- Faceless reviews on their websites.
- Your research into their financial affairs—does their company show a list of charges on Companies House?
- Have they introduced delays or started giving you excuses? If so, walk away now.
Why should I use a ‘we buy any house’ company?
If you are not in a hurry, we recommend selling via an estate agent to get the best price. However, it can take several months to agree on a sale, and then there’s a frustrating and complex conveyancing process.
If your circumstances change, you may wish to consider a ‘we buy any home’ company. Here at Property Saviour, we promise a 10-day sale for any freehold residential property. If you need more time to find your forever home, we will work within your timescale.
Using a ‘we buy any home’ service, you won’t achieve full market value, but it can work in these scenarios:
- You wish to sell without being stuck in a property chain;
- You have been let down, and the sale has fallen through;
- Your house has been on the market for a long time with no offers;
- You need to stop a repossession;
- You prefer a private and discreet sale.
Here at Property Saviour, we are transparent and ethical and have many legitimate reviews. If we do what we promise, we hope to win your review.
Always be careful of companies with thousands of reviews. Either they are left after an initial chat, or reviews have been bought online to deceive you into trusting them.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a ‘we buy any house’ company?
If you need a quick, easy and stress-free house sale, these are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using ‘we buy any house’ companies:
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Ease. Effortlessly sell your home online by filling out the enquiry form, waiting for our callback, sending us photos, and getting an offer, usually in 48 hours. Any genuine ‘we buy any home’ company should be able to provide you with proof of funds to confirm their status as cash buyers. | You won’t get full market value compared to selling via an estate agent. A typical property-buying company will pay you 70% of the value of the property. They will have 10% transactional costs, including holding costs such as bills, insurance, stamp duty, solicitor fees, and resale estate agency fees. Their profit margin will be around 20% before tax. |
Speed Sellers who need to unlock equity tied up in their property love the speed at which transactions can be done compared to a buyer who needs a mortgage. It shouldn’t take more than 2-3 weeks to buy any type of property, compared to months with a typical buyer. | Not all cash buyers have the cash, as roughly 80% of them ‘borrow’ the money via a bridging loan. Ask for proof of funds and do your own due diligence by checking if they have charges on the Companies House website. |
Certainty In a world of uncertainty, the last thing you need is an uncommitted buyer. Here at Property Saviour, there are no delays or excuses. There are no last-minute surveys, price reductions or false promises. Agree on a price, receive a formal offer with proof of funds, get your solicitor to send our solicitor the contract, and finally start counting down. We’ll complete in 10 days for residential property and 15 days for commercial property—or at a timescale that works for you. With Property Saviour, the price agreed is the price you will receive. | Anyone with a website can claim to be a cash buyer. Their primary tactic is an offer too good to be true up to 90% of the value; some even offer 100% of the value! You have to ask yourself, how can they make a profit? They will make you sign an exclusivity agreement, either try to sell your property online or introduce delays to better understand your motivation. Then, after months of delays and just before the exchange of contracts, they will reduce their price!
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Convenience Have you ever paid more for groceries because you shopped at a 24-hour local convenience store? Sellers sell us all sorts of problem properties — those with complex title issues, relationship breakdowns, neighbourly disputes, properties with subsidence, problematic tenants, illness, rogue letting agents, and non-compliant and unsafe houses. | Most property-buying companies want to have their cake and eat it. They wish to purchase property at a discount, but only if it is mortgageable. Hence, why will ‘two estate agents’ call around to ‘value your house’? It makes you wonder why these cash buyers can’t buy with cash. Because their lenders only lend against mortgageable properties, which may explain their tactics. |
What do ‘we buy any house’ companies do?
House buying companies will provide an accurate and cost-effective valuation of your property before making you an offer. These companies guarantee payment in cash within seven days, making it an especially appealing option if your property has been listed for an extended period of time.
It is one of the most straightforward ways to sell a house. These companies will purchase any house, regardless of type, condition or other issues.
How does ‘we buy any house’ work?
The process of selling property to a quick house sale company is straightforward and speedy. Legitimate house-buying companies usually follow these steps:
- First, fill out an enquiry form on their website. Provide the necessary info, and they’ll use valuation software connected to similar properties to calculate the property’s real market value.
- Within 24 hours, you’ll receive an offer. The quick house sale company will call to discuss it, the timing, and when you can expect to get your funds. This is when you can ask any questions. Once you agree, they’ll send you the offer in writing. You’ll fill it out and send it back.
- The company will also assign and pay for an independent solicitor to act for you. Plus, they’ll arrange a RICS-certified surveyor to assess the property at their own expense. After they get a legal check and valuation report, they’ll make a final offer.
- The house-buying company will confirm the completion date that works for you. On that day, you’ll receive the funds in your account.
Who does ‘we buy any house’ companies target?
We buy any house companies focus on a particular audience—homeowners who are dealing with issues or have tricky properties. These include properties that are difficult to obtain a mortgage for, houses that need repairs that sellers can’t pay for, and properties that are hard to shift.
To put it plainly, we buy any house companies will purchase properties that nobody else wants to take on.
Why sell property to a ‘we buy any house’ company?
There are numerous reasons why a quick house sale company may be preferable when selling your house compared to a high street estate agent, who often takes months to complete a sale.
Selling to a ‘we buy any house’ company gives you the luxury of time, as well as many other advantages.
These include: not wanting to be part of a chain; a previous attempt to sell has failed; needing to stop a repossession; the property has been on the market for too long without a sale; avoiding estate agent fees; and not wanting to have public viewings.
It is essential to ensure you are dealing with a legitimate house-buying company before proceeding.
Is we buy any house any good?
Selling your house to a ‘we buy any house’ company may sound appealing, but it is important to know that not all companies are trustworthy.
Many quick house sale companies use deceptive tactics to trick homeowners into believing they are the best.
For instance, they may promise to pay the property’s full value only to back out at the last minute. They may ask you to sign a contract prohibiting you from selling the property to another buyer, which will significantly delay the sale.
Therefore, doing your research and ensuring you are dealing with a legitimate company is essential.
How do you tell a legitimate house buying company?
There are several signs you can watch out for to determine if a ‘we buy any house’ company is legitimate. Generally, a genuine house-buying company will offer you a price of at least 70% of the property’s value.
This is because they are responsible for the administrative costs, such as solicitor and surveyor fees. If you hear of a company offering to pay the entire value of the property, it should set alarm bells ringing.
Take a look at the company’s reviews.
Note any decline in ratings, as this could indicate something is amiss.
Most importantly, the reviews should be genuine. If you spot multiple reviews with the same wording within a few hours, this could be a sign of falsification.
To make it simpler, here are the top five tips to consider when researching ‘we buy any house’ companies’ reviews to ensure you don’t get scammed:
- Are the reviews from genuine customers?
- Are the customer reviews up to date?
- Are there customer reviews on third-party sites?
- Do the reviews of the company seem too good to be true, or are they realistic?
Conclusion
The answer to the question, “Is buying a house any good?” is an emphatic “Yes!” Unfortunately, there are still some unscrupulous companies willing to take advantage of unsuspecting sellers.
That’s why it’s important to research and determine the legitimacy of the “We Buy Any House” company you’re considering.
Property Saviour is a legitimate company that has helped many homeowners quickly and conveniently sell their property.
As a genuine “We Buy Any House” company, Property Saviour will buy any house in any location, regardless of condition or value. All you need to do is provide us with the details of your property, and we will send you an offer. Once you accept our offer, you can expect to sell your house within 10 days.
Property Saviour Price Promise
- The price we’ll offer is the price that you will receive with no hidden deductions.
- Be careful with ‘cash buyers’ who require a valuation needed for a mortgage or bridging loan.
- These valuations or surveys result in delays and price reductions later on.
- We are cash buyers. There are no surveys.
- We always provide proof of funds with every formal offer issued.
We'll Pay £1,500 Towards Your Legal Fees
- No long exclusivity agreement to sign because we are the buyers.
- You are welcome to use your own solicitor.
- If you don’t have one, we can ask our solicitors for recommendations.
- We share our solicitor’s details and issue a Memorandum of Sale.
Sell With Certainty & Speed
- Our approach is transparent and ethical, which is why sellers trust us.
- 100% Discretion guaranteed.
- If you have another buyer, you can put us in a contracts race to see who completes first.
- Complete in 10 days or at a timescale that works for you. You are in control.
