How we buy your house
From your first enquiry to funds in your account, here is exactly what happens at every stage and how quickly each step moves.
Get a Free Cash OfferStep 1: Fill in the short form
The process starts with a short online form at southyorkshirepropertybuyers.com/get-offer. We ask for your property address, a rough idea of its condition, and your contact details. You don't need a valuation or any paperwork at this stage.
Most people complete the form in under two minutes. It isn't a commitment. It is simply the first step in a conversation.
Step 2: We call you
One of our small local team will call you back about your enquiry. We answer the phone ourselves, so you are speaking to the people who will actually be buying the house, not a call centre or a lead-generation site.
The call is straightforward. We want to understand your situation: the property, what you are hoping to achieve, and what your timeline looks like. There are no scripts, no pressure, and no requirement to decide anything on the call.
If you prefer to start by emailing, that works too. We can begin the process entirely by email if that suits you better.
Step 3: We arrange to see the property
After our initial conversation, we arrange to view the property. This can be done in person, via video call, or through photographs and any existing floor plans you have. We work around your schedule and your tenant's schedule if the property is tenanted.
We don't need the property to be in perfect condition for a viewing. We buy properties as they stand. We aren't looking for reasons not to proceed.
If it helps to hear how the process has gone for others before deciding, you can read reviews from previous sellers who have completed with us.
Step 4: We make you a formal written offer
Based on what we have seen and our assessment of the local market, we put a formal offer in writing. We do this the same day as the viewing.
Every property is priced on its own facts, so we won't put a percentage on it before we have spoken to you. The figure we give you is our best offer at that point, based on the property and what you have told us. We don't start low and work up to get a deal over the line. We explain exactly how we have arrived at the figure. There are no mystery calculations.
You are under no obligation to accept. The offer stays valid for 14 days, so you have time to consider it, compare other routes, or get an estate agent's valuation to check it against. We don't chase or pressure.
Step 5: You instruct our panel solicitors
If you decide to proceed, we instruct our panel solicitors on your behalf. We can cover your legal fees when you use our panel solicitor.
Our solicitors are experienced in fast property transactions. They will handle all the conveyancing: title checks, searches, enquiries, contract drafting, and registration. You will have a named solicitor to contact throughout the process.
If you prefer to use your own solicitor, you can, though you would settle their bill yourself and it may affect the timeline.
Please note: taxes including Capital Gains Tax remain the seller's responsibility. We recommend seeking independent tax advice if applicable.
Step 6: You choose your completion date
Once the legal work is under way, you set the date you want to complete. As little as seven days from offer acceptance is achievable in straightforward cases. If you need more time, a few weeks or a couple of months, we work around your timeline.
The completion date is fixed in the contract. Unlike open-market sales, it isn't subject to a chain or another buyer changing their plans.
Step 7: Funds in your account
On completion day, your solicitor receives the sale proceeds from us. After redeeming any outstanding mortgage, the remaining balance is transferred to your nominated bank account. The property legally transfers to us.
That is the sale complete. There is nothing further for you to do, and no agent or chain left to chase.
What makes this different from an estate agent sale?
The two routes suit different situations. Here is a direct comparison of the key factors.
| Factor | South Yorkshire Property Buyers | Estate agent sale |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 7 to 28 days | 3 to 6 months |
| Fall-through risk | No chain to collapse | Around 1 in 3 sales fall through |
| Fees to seller | None | 1 to 3% estate agent fee plus solicitor costs |
| Price | Below full market value, priced on the property itself rather than a set percentage | Full market value, less fees and delays |
| Certainty | Fixed completion date agreed in advance | Subject to buyer chain and mortgage approval |
Neither route is universally better. For sellers where certainty and speed matter, such as financial pressure, a fallen-through sale, a probate property, or a tenanted property, the cash buyer route often produces a better overall outcome even if the headline price is lower. If your house is mortgage-free, in good condition and likely to sell inside a couple of months, an estate agent will usually leave you with more money, and we will tell you so.
Compare what lands in your account, not what is quoted
The figure you are shown is rarely the figure you keep. An estate agent quotes an asking price, and what reaches you is that price less the agent fee, less your legal costs, and less the bills, council tax and mortgage payments you carry while the sale runs its course.
The modern method of auction quotes a hammer price, but the buyer also pays a non-refundable reservation fee on top, commonly 4.2 to 5% of the price plus VAT. Buyers work to a total budget, so that fee comes out of what they can afford to bid, which pushes the hammer price down. The fee is described as paid by the buyer, not the seller, which is the auction industry's framing and hides where the money really comes from. Your own fee stack then comes off the suppressed price.
Our offer works differently in one respect: it is the figure that reaches your account on completion, with nothing deducted from it. That doesn't mean you will end up with more than another route would give you. It means the three numbers aren't like for like, so take each route through to the figure that actually lands.
Common questions
In straightforward cases, we can complete within seven days of offer acceptance. Most sales complete in 7 to 28 days. If you need longer, we work to your timeline.
No. We instruct our panel solicitors on your behalf, and we can cover your legal fees when you use them. If you prefer to use your own solicitor, that is also possible, though you would settle their bill yourself. Let us know at the start of the process.
Only rarely, and only for a reason we can show you. Once you accept our written offer, that is the figure we work to, and we don't chip the price at the last minute. It can change if the conveyancing turns up something material we didn't know about, such as a title defect, a short lease or a structural problem. If that happens we send you the evidence and the revised figure, and you are free to walk away.
We buy houses, flats, bungalows, and most residential property types across South Yorkshire. Condition isn't a barrier. Common situations include owners selling during probate, owners who have fallen behind on the mortgage, landlords arranging tenanted property exits, and houses that need repairs the seller would rather not fund. We also buy properties with structural issues including subsidence.
Yes. We don't rely on mortgage finance to buy your property. We use our own funds, which means there is no lender approval process, no survey for mortgage purposes, and no risk of a mortgage offer being withdrawn.
Ready to find out what we would offer?
Submit your property details and one of our team will be in touch. No obligation, no pressure.
Get a Free Cash Offer