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How Do Cash House Buyers Work in the UK?
A cash house buyer is a company or investor that purchases your home directly with its own funds — no mortgage, no chain — completing in as little as 7-28 days. The process is: you share details, they make an indicative offer, confirm it after a valuation and survey, then their solicitor handles a fast completion. They typically pay 75-85% of market value, the discount reflecting speed, certainty, covered fees and the risk they take on.
What is your property worth?
Get genuine offers from checked & vetted buyers.
- 7–28days to complete
- 75–85%of market value
- £0fees — legals often paid
- NAPB+TPOthe genuine-buyer test
Will a genuine cash sale work 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 genuine cash sale suits you — now make them compete.
Your timescale and property point clearly to a cash sale. Do not ring one company and take its figure; get several vetted cash offers side by side so they compete, and check each for proof of funds, NAPB and TPO. That is how you reach the top of the 75–85% band safely.
Compare cash offers →A cash sale could work — line it up against an agent.
You are between routes. Get a real valuation and a couple of genuine cash offers together, then weigh the certain, faster cash 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 cash sale as a fallback for a broken chain or a change of plan. A free valuation is a sensible benchmark either way.
Get a free valuation →The step-by-step process
A cash sale removes the two slowest parts of a normal sale — the mortgage and the chain — which is why it is so much faster. Here is what actually happens:
- Enquiry. You provide your address and property details online or by phone.
- Indicative offer. The company makes an initial cash offer based on its data and local knowledge, usually within 24-48 hours.
- Valuation. If you are interested, they assess the property — often using independent local estate agents and sometimes a RICS survey — to confirm value and condition.
- Firm offer. They confirm a formal offer in writing. A genuine buyer’s firm offer should match the indicative figure unless the survey reveals a genuine, evidenced issue.
- Legal work. You instruct a solicitor (a genuine buyer pays your legal fees). With no mortgage or chain, searches and enquiries move quickly.
- Completion. Funds transfer directly to you, often in 7-28 days, and the sale is done.
What they pay — and why it is below market value
Genuine cash buyers pay roughly 75-85% of open-market value. They are not charities, and the discount is not a trick — it reflects real economics:
- They tie up their own capital and carry the cost of it.
- They take on the risk, time and cost of reselling or letting the property.
- They often refurbish, so they price in the works.
- They guarantee a completion an open-market buyer cannot.
On a £200,000 home, expect roughly £156,000-£176,000. You give up that margin in exchange for speed, certainty and zero fees. A transparent buyer states the percentage clearly; be wary of any offer near 95-100% upfront, as those are frequently reduced just before exchange. See how far below market value they pay for worked examples.
How cash-buying companies make their money
Understanding the business model helps you judge a fair offer. A cash buyer buys below value, then does one of three things: resells quickly for a margin, refurbishes and resells for a larger margin, or retains the property to let for rental yield. The gap between what they pay you and what they ultimately realise — minus refurbishment, holding and selling costs — is their profit. This is exactly why a property that needs work attracts a lower offer: the buyer has to fund and project-manage that work and accept the risk it carries.
How to tell a genuine buyer from a chancer
The sector is mostly legitimate, but the checks below protect you from the minority who are not:
- Regulation: membership of the NAPB and registration with The Property Ombudsman (TPO) give you a code of conduct and a complaints route.
- Proof of funds: a genuine buyer evidences cleared cash on request (see proof of funds).
- Written offers: never rely on a verbal figure; get it in writing with the terms.
- No upfront fees and no long lock-out clauses.
- Independent reviews across Google, Trustpilot and allAgents, focusing on whether the final price matched the original offer.
For more on this, read are sell-house-fast companies legitimate?
Cash buyer vs estate agent vs auction
To put the cash route in context:
| Cash buyer | Estate agent | Auction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | 7-28 days | 8-24 weeks | 4-8 weeks |
| Price | 75-85% | 92-100% | 75-90% |
| Fees | None (legals often paid) | 1-1.5% + VAT | Buyer/seller fees |
| Certainty | Very high | Chain risk | High once hammer falls |
Choose the cash route when a guaranteed date matters more than the last few thousand pounds.
Why comparing buyers protects you
No single company’s reviews tell you whether its offer is competitive for your property. Because Ready Steady Sell compares multiple regulated buyers, you see more than one genuine offer and can judge them against each other and against your home’s true market value. That removes the guesswork — and the risk of accepting a low offer because one company’s website looked reassuring.
Don’t accept a lowball offer for your home
Compare genuine cash offers and investor options in minutes — free, no obligation, no fees.
Written & reviewed by Lisa Hayes, Founder
Lisa Hayes is the founder of Ready Steady Sell and an independent UK home-selling expert with over a decade helping homeowners weigh cash house buyers, property investors and the wider fast house-sale industry — without pressure or hidden fees. Every guide is reviewed for accuracy under our editorial standards.
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Frequently asked questions
Straight answers, no sales talk
How quickly can a cash house buyer complete?
As little as 7 days, and typically within 7-28 days, because there is no mortgage to arrange and no chain to wait on. The conveyancing is usually the limiting factor, not the buyer.
How much do cash house buyers pay?
Usually 75-85% of market value. The discount reflects the speed, certainty, covered fees and the risk and cost they take on by reselling or letting the property.
How do cash house buyers make money?
They buy below market value, then resell quickly, or refurbish and resell, or retain the property to let. The margin between what they pay and what they realise, minus costs, is their profit.
How do I know a cash buyer is genuine?
Check for NAPB membership and Property Ombudsman registration, insist on a written offer with no upfront fees and proof of funds, read independent reviews, and compare several buyers.
Do cash house buyers charge fees?
Genuine ones do not — they make their margin on the resale and typically cover your legal fees. If a company asks for an upfront valuation or admin fee, it is not a real cash buyer.
Will a cash buyer reduce the offer before completion?
A reputable buyer holds its written offer unless a survey reveals a genuine, evidenced issue. A last-minute cut with vague justification is a known rogue tactic — comparing buyers first means you can simply switch.