House-Buying Companies
House-Buying Companies: How They Work
House-buying companies buy your home directly for cash, completing in 7–28 days at typically 75–85% of market value, with no fees. The good ones are NAPB and TPO members who prove funds and honour their offer; the rest inflate the headline figure and reduce it near exchange. This guide explains how these companies actually work, how they make their money, how to tell a genuine buyer from a lead-broker, and how to compare several vetted companies so you reach the top of the band safely.
What is your property worth?
Get genuine offers from checked & vetted buyers.
- 7–28days to complete
- 75–85%of market value
- £0fees — legals often covered
- NAPB+TPOthe membership test
Is a house-buying company right for you?
Five quick questions on your timescale, property and priorities — then a straight recommendation and the safe way to act on it.
How soon do you need to complete?
What matters most?
What is the property like?
Why are you selling?
How much do you want to skip viewings and chains?
A house-buying company suits you — now make them compete.
Your timescale and property point to a direct company sale. Don’t ring one firm and take its figure; get several vetted offers side by side so they compete, and check each for proof of funds, NAPB and TPO. That’s how you reach the top of the 75–85% band safely.
Compare companies →A company sale could work — line it up against an agent.
You’re between routes. Get a real valuation and a couple of genuine company offers, then weigh the certain, faster figure against what a good agent might net you more slowly.
Get offers to compare →You may do better on the open market.
With time and a desirable home, an agent is likely to net you more. Keep a vetted company sale as a fallback for a broken chain. A free valuation is a sensible benchmark.
Get a free valuation →How house-buying companies work
A genuine company buys your home outright, with its own funds. No mortgage application and no onward chain means the two slowest, riskiest parts of a normal sale vanish — which is how completion drops from months to days. The company takes on the work and the risk: it refurbishes or re-lets and accepts the property may sit on its books, and the discount you accept is the price of handing that over.
How they make their money
They buy below market value, refurbish, and resell or let — the discount is their margin and their risk buffer. That’s legitimate; the problem is only when a company hides the discount behind an inflated headline offer it never intends to honour, then reduces it near exchange when you’re committed.
- You receive 75–85% — fast, certain, fee-free
- Their slice — refurb, holding, resale costs and risk
Genuine company vs lead-broker
- Buys with its own funds
- Shows proof of funds today
- NAPB & TPO member
- Firm written offer, held to completion
- One company, one point of contact
- Owns no property, holds no cash
- Can’t prove funds
- No memberships or redress
- Sells your details to several firms
- You get bombarded with calls
The two look identical online — same stock photos, same “sell in 7 days” promise. You can only tell them apart by what they’ll do when you ask for proof of funds.
What they pay
Genuine companies pay roughly 75–85% of market value. Anything near 95–100% upfront is a red flag, not a bargain — it gets renegotiated down later. Anything around 50–70% is a lead-broker or sham banking on you not knowing your real market value. Knowing that figure first is what lets you judge an offer honestly.
How to compare them properly
Get several offers, know your value, and check each company on Companies House, Trustpilot and for NAPB/TPO membership. See our full guide to choosing one.
Score any company in 60 seconds
Tick what the company can actually demonstrate — the score updates live:
Tick the boxes to see how safe this company looks.
We bring vetted companies to you — already checked
Ready Steady Sell is independent — not a buyer. We put several checked & vetted, NAPB- and TPO-registered offers side by side, so you compare with no fee and no obligation, and no single company can lowball you.
Compare companies →Compare genuine house-buying companies — safely
Several checked & vetted offers, side by side, in minutes. Free, no obligation, no fees.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no sales talk
Are house-buying companies legit?
The genuine ones are — funded, NAPB/TPO-registered, transparent about their 75–85% range and fee-free to you. Lead brokers and companies that drop the price near exchange are the ones to avoid. Vetting and comparison protect you.
