The Property Buying Company is a team of property experts specialising in buying and selling houses across England and Wales. They offer a range of services to suit different needs, whether someone is looking for a quick sale or aiming to get the best possible price. This website focuses on their cash house buying service, designed for people who need to sell their house fast.
If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably wondering, “Can I sell my house quickly and still get full market value?” The truth is - no, it’s usually a trade off. A faster sale often comes with a reduced price, while achieving full market value tends to take a lot more time.
The only way to truly get 100% market value fast is to list your property on the open market. However, even by using this method, there are no guarantees of getting either 100% market value or a fast house sale – in most cases, you will end up with neither.
Some cash buyers claim they can buy a house in as little as 7 days. While that’s not impossible, it’s rare and generally happens in unique circumstances. Realistically, most cash sales take around 3 to 5 months – still much quicker than the time it takes to sell through an estate agent.
But, selling to a cash buyer usually means accepting 15% to 35% less than the property’s market value. On the flip side, estate agents aim to get closer to full market value, but there are risks involved. With one in three open market sales falling through, there’s always the chance of being back to square one.
For anyone looking to sell their house quickly while still maximising profit, The Property Buying Company offers the perfect solution.
With over 13 years in business, they’ve become one of the largest and most trusted cash buyers in the UK. In just the last 5 years, they’ve helped sell more than £186 million worth of residential property across the country. This success comes from providing thousands of homeowners with flexible, hassle-free ways to sell their homes.
When it comes to cash sales, The Property Buying Company’s cash buying arm offers around 80.39% of your home’s market value, with sales completing within 5 months. In their fastest case, they completed a house sale in 2 days! This service guarantees a sale with an impressive 99% success rate and sellers can choose how quickly or slowly the process moves.
For those who prefer to aim closer to full market value and have a bit more time to sell, The Property Buying Company also offers an online estate agency option. Through this route, they can find a buyer in as little as 28 days, delivering an average of 93.14% of market value – a significant 12.75% more than their cash buying option.
Whether you need speed or value, The Property Buying Company has a tailored solution to meet your needs.
Market value refers to the estimated amount a property is worth based on current market conditions. When the market has more buyers than sellers, property values tend to rise. Conversely, when the market is flooded with sellers, house values are usually lower.
There isn’t a universal way to measure market value, and each valuation can differ slightly because it’s often based on a valuer’s professional opinion, and no two opinions are exactly the same.
For sellers, it’s not uncommon to feel that their home’s market value should be higher than what’s estimated. This can sometimes lead to frustration – either by setting a price that puts off potential buyers or feeling dissatisfied with the final sale price.
Over the last five years, The Property Buying Company looked into their online estate agency and found something surprising. On average, sellers thought their house, on average, was worth £53,878 more than the price it was actually marketed for after professional external valuations.
The most eye opening example was a detached house in Hertfordshire, where the difference between the seller’s expectations and the valuation was a massive £444,000!
Not too long ago, the only way to figure out your home’s market value was to invite a few estate agents, let them walk around, and hear their take on it.
Now, thanks to technology, it’s much easier to get an idea of what your home might be worth. You can look up sold prices in your area, browse photos, floorplans, asking prices, and descriptions to see how your property compares.
Property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla make this super simple, giving you access to loads of useful information. Some even offer online valuation tools for a quick estimate. Just keep in mind that, like estate agents, these tools can give slightly different results – so it’s best to use them as a helpful guide, not the full picture.
Selling your house quickly while still getting market value is a goal most homeowners share, but how realistic is it? That answer depends on a multitude of factors like how competitive the market is, how you price your home, and how appealing it is to buyers.
To help breakdown this topic, The Property Buying Company asked their CEO and co-founder Karl McArdle about his view on how possible it is to sell a house fast, for full market value:
“Homes that are priced realistically from the start almost always sell faster and are more likely to fetch market value. This was especially clear during the pandemic when so many properties were snapped up quickly.
In 2020, 28% of homes sold at or above their asking price, and in 2021, that jumped to a then-record, 37%. Back then, properties were typically going under offer in just 21 days, although the entire sale process still averaged around 88 days.
That said, even at the height of the market, most homes – 72% in 2020, and 63% in 2021, still sold for less than their asking price.
Last year, in 2024, things shifted again. According to the Financial Reporter, homes sold for an average of 47% more than their original purchase price. Zoopla also reported that 96.8% of properties achieved their asking price – the highest proportion in the 18 months prior.
But despite these gains, selling is currently taking a little longer on average. Homes now take around 35 days to go under offer, and the whole process, from listing to completion, averages about 185 days. It shows that while the market is strong, buyers are being a bit more cautious these days.”
The housing market is in a strange place right now. Houses are worth more, but they’re taking much longer to sell, which makes selling quickly for market value feel more like a long shot than a sure thing. It’s not impossible, but let’s be honest – it’s pretty unlikely.
A lot of this can be traced back to the 2024 Labour Autumn Budget. It’s left homeowners feeling more stressed than ever, and first-time buyers are struggling to find more favourable mortgage rates. The result? A market where patience is key, and selling your home has become more of a waiting game than it used to be.
In 2024, several factors came together to shape the housing market, influencing the value of properties in quick sales. From government policies to buyer demand, these elements created both opportunities and challenges for sellers aiming to secure fast transactions.
As mentioned earlier, these factors have significantly shaped the housing market. While the market remains strong and sellers are often achieving or even exceeding their asking prices, the real standout is the speed of sales. In fact, sales are now happening 71% slower than during the quickest periods of the pandemic. Let’s take a closer look at why this is happening:
The Autumn 2024 Budget brought significant changes to Stamp Duty. Labour introduced an immediate surcharge increase on additional properties, jumping from 3% to 5%. This policy aimed to reduce speculative investments and second-home purchases, helping prioritise primary homes.
Experts at Rightmove noted that the upcoming changes to Stamp Duty thresholds are expected to fuel a rush of buyers before April 2025. This spike in demand could temporarily boost house prices and speed up sales – but a slowdown is likely after April.
According to Savills, just under 230,000 new home swerves were completed in England during the 12 months leading up to June 2024, reflecting no growth compared to the previous year. While demand remained steady, this limited supply put upward pressure on prices in the quick sale market.
On the planning side, 235,000 homes gained approval over the same period, showing a tight gap between planning permission and completed builds. Labour’s ambitious pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes over five years (requiring 822 homes built per day) could change this picture, though its impact remains to be seen.
According to Reuters, in September 2024, the UK housing market saw signs of recovery. Falling borrowing costs encourage more activity, with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reporting its first positive house price balance since 2022.
First-time buyers, many supported by the Bank of Mum and Dad, playing a massive role in sustaining demand. Their preference for chain free transactions meant quicker sales and stronger offers, especially for properties priced within their budgets.
Buyers in 2024 overwhelmingly sought homes that were ready to move into. Well-maintained properties attracted quicker offers and higher prices, as buyers, particularly first timers, wanted to avoid renovation costs and delays.
According to The Times, house prices rose by an average of 4.7% nationally in 2024, but there were clear regional differences. Northern regions saw stronger growth than the south, where prices increased more modestly.
Suburban areas also drew attention, with a noticeable uptick in larger homes being listed and bought. Families in search of more space drove these trends, boosting quick sale opportunities in suburban areas.
Property auctions gained significant popularity in 2024 for quick sales, particularly for unique or distressed properties. Competitive bidding often pushed final sale prices higher than those achieved through traditional methods.
At the same time, online platforms like Rightmove and Zoopla played a growing role in connecting sellers with buyers. Their broad reach helped speed up my transactions, and in many cases, secure better offers.
Cash buyers are set to take an even bigger role in the housing market in 2025. In London alone, cash sales have surged – from just 41% of transactions in 2022 to an impressive 66% between January and July 2024.
This shift is happening as the gap widens between selling quickly and achieving full market value. Sellers should expect to see more offers from cash buyers, but these offers are often lower than the asking price.
Why? Cash buyers have a clear advantage. With interest rates still high, many buyers are struggling to secure mortgages or are put off by rising repayment costs. Cash buyers don’t have these issues. They can move quickly, which gives them more negotiating power to push for lower prices.
Meanwhile, sellers are feeling the squeeze of higher mortgage costs, creating urgency to sell quickly. This often makes a lower but immediate cash offer more appealing than waiting for a buyer reliant on slower mortgage approvals.
Looking ahead, cash buyers are likely to dominate the market as mortgage dependent buyers continue to be sidelined. Sellers face a tough decision; take a lower cash offer for speed and certainty, or hold out for a better price in a slower, more unpredictable market.
When it comes to selling your house, everyone has their own idea of what it’s worth and how quickly they want it sold. To achieve full market value, the best option is to list your home on the open market. This gives your home the most exposure and increases your chances of finding a buyer who’s willing to pay what you’re asking.
But there are a few things you’ll need to focus on:
A little effort can go a long way. Home staging, professional photos or even small upgrades can make your home more appealing and help justify your asking price.
The housing market is all about supply and demand. Selling when there are more buyers than sellers will help you get a higher price. An indication of this, may be if houses in your area are selling very fast – for their asking price.
Getting full market value can take time. It’s not unusual for it to take months to find the right buyer who’s willing to pay your price. But, it’s important to balance this expectation, with understanding if your home is overpriced, and if it is, adjusting the price accordingly.
Sometimes, it can take five months or more to find a buyer willing to pay full market value for your home. If you don’t have the time or energy for such a drawn out process, turning to a cash buying company or an online estate agency could be a much better option – even if it means taking a bit of a hit on the final price.
Here’s something to think about; selling a £250,000 home through an estate agent can cost you up to £12,250 in fees and other selling costs – that’s about 4.9% of your home’s value. And that doesn’t even factor in the months you’ll spend waiting for the right buyer to come along. So, is saving 1.96% of your home’s value really worth the extra stress and hassle?
With The Property Buying Company, you’ve got two flexible options, both of which give you a guaranteed amount of funds, once you have accepted their offer:
Their cash buying service, which will offer you around 80.39% of your home’s market value, and sales can be completed much faster than with estate agents.
Their online estate agency, which gives you an average of 93.14% of market value, with the potential to find a buyer in as little as 28 days, saving you both time and money.
When you factor in the reduced costs, quicker timelines, and less hassle, these options can make a lot of sense if you’re looking for a simpler and faster way to sell.
Selling a house can be a complex process, and for some homeowners, using a ‘sell house fast’ service from a cash buying company might be the ideal solution. The cash buying industry has become more transparent over the years, with many companies openly acknowledging that their approach isn’t the right fit for everyone.
A reputable cash buyer will take the time to understand a homeowner’s situation and suggest the best route forward, even if that means recommending alternatives.
The biggest advantage of cash buyers is speed. For those who can wait — potentially up to 185 days for a sale on the open market, a high street estate agent might make more sense. But, if time is a priority or the potential 1.96% you might gain by waiting isn’t a dealbreaker, exploring a cash buying service like The Property Buying Company could be worth considering.
While The Property Buying Company often works with homeowners facing situations like divorce, inheritance, financial difficulty or relocation, their service isn’t just for those in urgent need. They’ve helped thousands of people across the UK sell quickly, whatever their reason for moving on. Sometimes, it’s simply about wanting a smooth, straightforward process.
The Property Buying Company isn’t your typical cash buying company. Founded in 2012 and run by property professionals with over 200 years of combined experience, they bring a level of expertise that can put any homeowner at ease.
They’re proud members of The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers, which means they follow strict codes of practice to ensure you are treated fairly.
Because The Property Buying Company buys, holds and sells their own property, they know how stressful selling a property can be. Their team is approachable, always ready to chat about your concerns, and they’ll handle the entire process so you don’t have to worry about the details.
With an excellent rating on Trustpilot and more than 2,400 customer reviews, it’s clear they’ve helped a lot of homeowners through what can be a daunting process. They’re also refreshingly open and honest – they’ll let you know upfront what they can offer for your home and keep you in the loop every step of the way. If any challenges come up, they’ll tell you about them and work hard to find a solution.
If you are looking for more guidance on selling your home fast, then we have written these guides to help you:
Alternatively, if you want more indepth information about the housing market as a whole, or want to find out a rough idea of your house valuation, we would recommend that you check out these resources: