Common questions answered

About our offer

How much will you offer for my property?

We offer between 80 and 85% of our assessed open market value. The offer reflects the certainty and speed we provide: a cash buyer with no chain, no mortgage conditions, no estate agent fees, and legal fees we can cover if you use our panel solicitor. Nothing is deducted from that figure by us, so what we agree is what is paid at completion.

How do you calculate your offer?

We assess the local market using recent sold prices for comparable properties nearby, then apply our standard offer range. We show you the sold prices we used, so you can check the figure yourself.

Will your offer change after I accept it?

Our written offer stays valid for 14 days, and we don't chip the price down as completion gets closer. The one thing that can change it is the conveyancing turning up something material we didn't know about, such as a title defect or a serious structural problem. If that happens we will show you what we found and why it matters, and you are free to walk away.

Do you negotiate?

Our offers are based on a genuine market assessment, not an inflated starting point that we then negotiate down. If you have comparable evidence that suggests a different value, we are happy to discuss it.

Why is the offer below market value?

The discount reflects what we provide in return: cash in place, no chain, no mortgage conditions, legal fees we can cover if you use our panel solicitor, and a completion date you choose.

Be honest with yourself about whether you need those things. If the house is in good order, you have no deadline and you can wait, an estate agent will almost certainly net you more than we will. Where those factors do matter, whether that is financial pressure, a complex property, or a previous fall-through, the overall outcome is often better than a higher headline price that takes six months and may not complete.

How does your offer compare with the modern method of auction?

Compare what lands in your account, not what is quoted. At modern method of auction the buyer pays a non-refundable reservation fee on top of the hammer price, commonly 4.2 to 5% of the price plus VAT. It is described as paid by the buyer, not the seller, but a buyer works to one total budget, so that fee comes out of what they can afford to bid and the hammer price is pushed down by roughly the same amount. Your own fee stack then comes off that lower figure. Our offer is the number that reaches your account on completion, so the two aren't like for like. Ask any auction house what you would actually net, not what the gavel might fall at.

The process

How quickly can you complete?

In straightforward cases, within seven days of offer acceptance. Most sales complete within 7 to 28 days. If you need longer, we work to your timeline.

What happens after I submit the form?

One of our team calls you to talk through the property and your situation, then we arrange a short viewing. After the viewing we put a written offer to you the same day, with the reasoning behind the figure.

Do I need to do anything to prepare the property?

No. We buy properties in any condition. You don't need to clean, repair, redecorate, or remove any contents before we view. We see the property as it is.

What happens on completion day?

Your solicitor receives the sale proceeds from us. Any outstanding mortgage is redeemed. The remaining balance is transferred to your bank account. The property legally transfers to us. You hand over the keys.

Can I change my mind after accepting the offer?

Before exchange of contracts, you can withdraw from the sale without any penalty. Once contracts have been exchanged, both parties are legally committed. We will be clear about when exchange happens.

About us

Are you genuine cash buyers?

Yes. We buy property using our own funds. We don't rely on mortgage finance, which means no lender conditions, no survey requirements from a lender, and no risk of an offer being withdrawn.

Who is behind South Yorkshire Property Buyers?

We are a small South Yorkshire team, not a national call centre. The same people who answer the phone view the property, make the offer and see the sale through to completion. We buy with our own funds, so your details aren't passed on to anyone else.

What areas do you cover?

We cover South Yorkshire as a cash house buyer in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley. We also buy in surrounding areas including Chesterfield, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough, and Mansfield.

Can you help with special situations like probate, repossession, or tenanted property?

Yes. Beyond a straightforward sale, we regularly help sellers selling during probate, those facing repossession or arrears, and landlords looking to exit a tenanted property without serving notice. Each of those guides walks through the specific timing, paperwork, and options that apply.

How do I know you won't reduce the offer at the last minute?

No buyer can prove it to you in advance, so judge us on how we work. We are a small local team, we buy with our own funds, and we answer the phone ourselves. Ask for the offer and the reasoning behind it in writing at the start, then hold us to it. If anything ever did change, you would hear the reason from the same person who made the offer.

Do you charge any fees?

No. There are no fees to you as the seller. We can cover your legal fees if you use our panel solicitor. There are no estate agent fees, no survey fees, and no administration charges.

Your property

Do you buy properties in poor condition?

Yes: we buy properties in poor condition, including those needing significant repair, refurbishment, or renovation. Condition isn't a barrier.

Do you buy tenanted properties?

Yes. We buy properties with sitting tenants in situ. You don't need to serve notice or wait for the tenant to leave.

Do you buy probate properties?

Yes. We work with executors and probate solicitors regularly. We can exchange contracts before the Grant of Probate is issued, with completion conditional on the Grant arriving, and complete within days of it being granted.

Do you buy properties with Japanese knotweed?

Yes. We aren't constrained by mortgage lender requirements, so knotweed isn't an automatic barrier. We assess the property on its overall merits and price accordingly.

Do you buy properties with subsidence?

Yes. We buy properties with active or remediated subsidence, including properties affected by mining subsidence in South Yorkshire's former coalfield areas.

Do you buy flats and leasehold properties?

Generally yes. We typically require a minimum of 70 years remaining on the lease, though short leases can be discussed. We also consider any service charge or ground rent factors before making an offer.

After the sale

What are my tax obligations after selling?

Please note: taxes including Capital Gains Tax remain the seller's responsibility. If you are selling a property that isn't your primary residence, such as an investment property, a second home, or an inherited property, you may have a CGT liability. We recommend seeking independent tax advice before completing the sale.

Can you help if my solicitor is slow?

Our panel solicitors are experienced in fast transactions and are used to working to tight timescales. If you are using your own solicitor, we work closely with them to keep the process moving.

What happens to the contents of the property?

Any contents you wish to leave can be discussed at the point of offer. We can include removal costs in the deal in some circumstances if agreed upfront.

Do you buy buy-to-let properties and portfolios?

Yes. We buy individual buy-to-let properties and whole portfolios. If you have multiple properties you want to sell together, we can make one offer covering the full portfolio.

What if I have already had a sale fall through?

A previous fall-through doesn't affect our offer or process. We aren't a chain buyer and don't rely on another buyer completing. The risks that caused your previous sale to fall through generally don't apply to us.