Should I sell my home to a cash buyer?

Is it a good idea to sell my house to a cash buyer?

We reveal the answer as well as everything you need to know about cash buyers...

When it comes to selling your house, you may have come across buyers who describe themselves as a cash house buyer and wondered what they actually are and whether or not selling to a cash buyer is a good idea.

To help you answer whether or not you should sell your home to a cash buyer, we’ve written a guide on why someone would want a cash buyer, if they’re safe and so much more.

What is a cash buyer?

A cash buyer is someone who has the funds to buy a property outright, without the need to sell another property or obtain a loan first.

A cash buyer may be someone you come across on the open market, or you may find yourself looking for a cash house buying company, like ourselves.

Selling to a cash buyer is a much more common method than you may think, with just under a third of sales being cash purchases.

With a cash buyer, there are fewer ‘obstacles’, with most not bothering to have a survey or searches done, meaning they’re a quicker selling option.

We’re a specialist cash house buyer with our own cash reserves, allowing us to buy any property in any condition, no matter the price.

We’re also a member of The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers, showing we’re a cash buyer you can trust.

Why would someone want a cash buyer for a house?

There are many different reasons as to why someone would want to sell their house to a cash buyer – it’s faster, there’s less paperwork and they’re a chain-free buyer are just a few reasons to name.

Below are more examples of why someone may want to sell to a cash buyer:

Property’s location

A property’s location can cause a lender to refuse to lend, if the property is in an undesirable or unsafe location, such as:

• Flood risk areas

• An area close to old or unsecure coal mines, leading to a risk of subsidence

• Areas with risk of landslip

• Former petrol stations

• Areas with high crime rates

• Areas previously used for industrial purposes or toxic waste disposal sites

Damaged property

A severely damaged property is one that will be difficult to find a lender willing to take on the property through giving out a loan, leaving a cash buyer the only option.

Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Knotweed is a rapidly spreading, dangerous weed that has the ability to grow through solid ground, causing disruptions to house foundations.

As a result of this, lenders will not want to lend on a property affected by this weed, making the properties only really suitable for cash buyers.

Older property

Older properties tend to have a few issues, mainly with the standard of the building and materials used not being up to scratch with modern standards.

The property’s interior will also be outdating, meaning a large amount of money will be needed to be spent getting it up to date.

As a result, lenders are often reluctant to lend on an older property, meaning these properties are only appropriate for cash buyers.

Damp in the property

Properties with serious damp issues may struggle to get a ‘traditional’ buyer, as house repayment lenders aren’t keen to lend on this type of property, with some requesting an insurance backed guarantee.

Also, these types of properties will require a large amount of money spending on them to resolve the issues, meaning they warrant a large amount of discount, making a cash buyer the most suitable buyer.

Avoid a chain

With a cash house buyer not needing to sell a house and having funds readily available, there will be no chain.

A property chain occurs when each sale relies on another sale to complete in order for their sale to complete.

Often the cause for a sale falling through is a result of a broken chain, leading to sellers wanting to avoid them altogether, making a cash buyer the perfect solution.

Structural issues

Properties that have structural issues will require a large amount of money spending on them to get them up to a habitable standard, making a cash buyer a suitable method of sale, as they will look to pick up these types of properties at a sizeable discount.

Short lease

Leasehold properties with short leases (80 years or less left on the lease) become increasingly difficult to sell on the open market, as a short lease brings complications and high fees.

On top of this, lenders tend to not want to lend on this type of property. As a result, a house with a short lease is only suitable for a cash buyer.

Quicker process

A final reason someone may want to sell to a cash buyer is they offer a quicker process.

This is because they have the funds readily available and they’re often looking to buy the house as a project, meaning they’re not often bothered with getting a survey or searches.

Do cash buyers need a survey & searches on a house?

This poses an interesting question, as when selling your house to a ‘traditional’ buyer, they will always get searches and a survey on your property, with most lenders requiring you to have one in order for them to approve the house repayments request.

But with a cash buyer, the money is all their own, making it no longer a necessary step and more by choice.

In a lot of circumstances, cash buyers actually choose not to have a survey or searches, as they want to ensure the speediest process.

However, if you are a cash buyer, we would highly recommend that you take this extra precaution. Whilst it might cost a bit of extra time and money, in the long run, it will be worth doing.

This part of the process will be instructed by your solicitor, and they will handle the results and the cost will be added to their fees.

Should I sell my home to a cash buyer?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, as it will depend on why you’re selling, how quickly you need to sell and how much you want or need to get for your property.

There is no denying there are clear benefits to selling to a cash buyer.

To start with, they promise a faster service, with them having the funds readily available and there is no chain attached to them.

Selling to a cash house buying company, like ourselves, also bring more advantages, with us covering all your fees and leaving you with our cash offer in full.

We also allow you to choose the timescale, which is something no buyer on the open market can promise.

We will also handle the whole process for you, from start to finish, making the sale as stress and hassle-free as possible!

Having said this, selling to a cash buyer often means you will have to be willing to accept below the market value for your property.

Most cash offers tend to be around 15-20% below the market value as a general rule, but some will offer 25% less than the market value with others offering only 10% below.

If you’re selling your property with plenty of time on your hands with the aim of achieving the full market value, then a cash buyer won’t be the best option.

Although, even on the open market, there’s no guarantee you will achieve the full market value.

Also, if you’re looking to sell to a cash house buying company, then you may have concerns about the industry being unregulated.

However, if you sell to a cash house buying company that are members of The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers, like ourselves, then you don’t need to worry, as these act as regulating bodies and provide protection for the seller.

Is selling to a cash buyer safe?

Selling to a cash buyer is just as safe as selling to a buyer who requires house repayments, as they still have to go through the same legal checks, including an Anti-Money Laundering check to ensure their cash funds have come through a legitimate course.

We believe this question may revolve more around cash house buying companies, as it is an unregulated industry and therefore can make sellers feel a little uneasy as to how legitimate they are.

For the most part, we can assure you it’s a perfectly safe way to sell your house, but it’s important you choose a trusted company.

The main way to ensure this is by selling to a company that is part of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB). These both offer protection for the seller, should anything go wrong.

Another way to be sure you’re choosing a trustworthy company is to search them up on a well-known review website and have a read of the customer reviews.

This way you’re going to get honest opinions of what selling to that particular company is like.

We’re members of both TPO and the NAPB, whilst also being rated ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot, with well over 1,000 reviews. With us as your cash buyer, selling has never felt safer.

How does our ‘cash for house’ buying process work?

If you’ve decided a cash buyer is the right option for you, let us explain how our ‘cash for house’ buying process works.

Our process is much simpler and quicker than selling through the open market, with our main selling point being the speed of our service.

We’ve worked harder to streamline the process into just five steps, which you can see below:

Is the service right for me?

We’re always open and honest about the fact our quick ‘cash for house’ service isn’t for everyone, so it’s important you decide if it’s right for you.

The main purpose of our service is speed – if you have the time and patience to wait on the open market for a sale, you may achieve a higher value, but of course, there are no guarantees of that.

Our particular service will be the best option for you if:

Going through a divorce

A divorce is a difficult and stressful time for all involved, leading couples to look for a quick sale to get the property sold, leaving them with one less thing to worry about. In this instance, our quick ‘cash for house’ process will be ideal for you.

Facing financial difficulty

Often people can run into financial difficulty at unexpected times, meaning they need to release some equity from their house ASAP, especially in those situations where you’re looking to avoid repossession.

In these circumstances, time is of the essence, making a quick sale a top priority.

Lifestyle changes

There comes a time when people decide they want to downsize and move into a property more suited to their needs. The need to downsize can be a result of health or age, so it’s important to get a speedy sale.

You’ve inherited a property

Inheriting a property and dealing with probate comes at a time when you have other stresses, and you don’t want to be weighed down with further worries of paying the bills for an inherited property.

In this situation, a lot of people search for a quick, stress-free sale, making our ‘cash for house’ process best for these situations.

Relocation

Whether you’re moving to a different city or country, relocating can be something that springs upon you very quickly, meaning you need to get your house sold ASAP, making our service the perfect selling route.

Can you trust us?

So, if you’ve decided you want to sell your house to a cash buyer and you’re wanting to know who to trust, you may be wondering what makes us believe we’re the safest and most trustworthy quick cash buyer?

Well, we’re more than just a standard cash house buying company!

The Property Buying Company is owned and operated by property professionals, founded in 2012, and we have over 50 years of combined experience.

As we mentioned earlier, we’re also a member of The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers, further emphasising why we’re someone you can trust.

On top of this, we understand what it’s like to sell a property and all the stresses that come along with it, so we will always be up for a chat to listen to your worries, and we handle the whole process for you.

On top of this, we’re highly rated on major review platforms, including Trustpilot where we’re rated ‘excellent’ and have well over 1,000 reviews.

We will always be open and honest about our process and service – we will tell you upfront what we can offer for your property, and we will keep you constantly updated, including any issues we face and how we will do our best to overcome them for you.

Compared to a cash buyer on the open market, we will cover all your fees and can complete in a timescale of your choice.

It has never been easier to sell your house for cash!