Sell your flat fast, the 2026 leasehold reality and the cash route

Yes, if you sell to a cash buyer. An EWS1 is a lender's requirement, not a legal one. If your building has no valid EWS1, or has a B2 rating, buyers who need a mortgage usually can't go ahead. A cash buyer using their own money can. We price the repair risk into the offer instead of walking away.

Most of our purchases complete in 7 to 28 days. The LPE1 management pack is the one thing outside our control. It can take 4 to 8 weeks if it's ordered late, so we order it on day one and run everything else alongside it. On the open market a flat sale usually takes several times longer than that.

You do, in almost every case. It usually costs £200 to £500 plus VAT, sometimes more. There is no cap on the fee, and you normally don't get it back if the sale falls through. Ministers were given power to cap it by the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, but that still hasn't been brought in. We still need the pack when we buy. The difference is that we have no mortgage deadline, so a slow pack delays the sale rather than killing it.

Yes. High charges shrink the pool of buyers who need a mortgage, because lenders count the charge against what a buyer can afford. A cash buyer prices the charge into the offer instead of saying no. You still have to declare the current charge, the reserve fund position and any Section 20 major works consultation that's going on.

Yes. Once a lease drops below about 80 years left, most lenders refuse or restrict lending, so you're down to cash buyers. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 was meant to make lease extensions cheaper, but those parts of it aren't in force yet. We price the extension cost into our offer, so you don't need to extend before selling to us.

Yes, with the tenant staying put. Under the Renters' Rights Act, in force since 1 May 2026, evicting a tenant so you can sell means four months' notice and a 12-month ban on re-letting. That makes selling with the tenant in place the better route for many landlords. The tenancy passes to us on the same terms at completion.

• How long does it take to sell a flat in the UK? The full 2026 data
• Sheffield property market: flats vs houses diverging
• Sell house fast Sheffield, the S1-S36 guide
• Selling with tenants in situ under the Renters' Rights Act
• All the fast-sale routes compared
• Cash buyer vs estate agent, net-after-costs comparison
• What is a cash buyer? The six-check verification playbook
• Selling at auction. UK 2026 guide
• How the SYPB process works

This page is a general guide and not legal, tax or surveying advice. Every lease is different. Before making decisions on a leasehold sale, take advice from an SRA-regulated conveyancer and the free, government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE); for money matters see MoneyHelper.

Yes. We buy flats in any condition, including ones that need stripping back and starting again. You don't need to decorate, fix anything or spend a penny before you sell. We work out what the repairs are likely to cost, take that into account in the offer, then show you how we got to the figure. We don't work to a percentage of market value, because the right number depends on the flat, the lease and the condition. What we put in writing is our best offer on what you've told us, so you're trading some price for speed and certainty.

No, damp doesn't stop us buying. Tell us what you know: when it started, and whether it comes from a leak upstairs, a shared roof or condensation on cold walls. You don't need a damp survey or any repair work first. Please be straight with us, because anything a surveyor or solicitor finds later that changes the picture can change the price. We would much rather price it properly at the start.

No. Tired hallways, a scruffy bin store or an old lift don't stop us buying your flat. We look at the whole building because it affects what the flat is worth, not because it rules the flat out. What matters more is money. If major works are being planned for the block, or a Section 20 notice has gone out, tell us early so the offer is realistic.

No, you can leave what you don't want. We buy flats with furniture, carpets, white goods and clutter still in them, and we deal with the clearance after completion. There is no need to pay for a house clearance or hire a skip yourself. Take what you want to keep, tell us what is staying, and leave the rest where it is. Anything left behind is simply one of the things we take into account when we work out the offer.

Yes. Flats above shops, takeaways and pubs, ex-council flats, studios and blocks built with non-standard materials all make mortgage lenders nervous, which shrinks your buyer pool down to cash. We buy with our own funds, so lender rules don't stop us buying. We will also tell you honestly if we think the open market is still worth a try first, because for some flats it genuinely is.

We usually want to see the flat, but that is one visit, not weeks of viewings. Photos and a few details are enough for us to give you a written offer the same day. A look round after that lets us check the condition matches what you told us. There is no marketing, no open house and no strangers walking through your home at weekends.

Not if the picture stays the same as what you told us. Our written offer stands for 14 days and is based on the information we have. We would only revisit it if something genuinely new turns up, such as a structural problem, a title issue or a big works bill nobody knew about. That is why we ask blunt questions early. Late surprises help nobody, least of all you.

No. Service charge arrears are normally paid off out of the sale money at completion, the same way a mortgage is. Your solicitor asks the managing agent for the exact figure and it comes off what you receive. Tell us roughly what you owe early on, so the numbers we give you are real. If the arrears are bigger than the equity in the flat, we will say so straight away.

Yes. An EPC is a legal requirement when you sell, whoever is buying, so it is one of the few bits of paperwork you can't skip. It is quick and cheap to arrange through any accredited domestic energy assessor. A poor rating doesn't put us off, and we don't need the flat to reach any energy or condition standard before we buy it. If you already have a valid EPC, it lasts ten years, so check before you pay for a new one.

Very unlikely. Empty flats pick up damp smells, dead boilers and the odd burst pipe, and we still buy them. Long-empty property is close to what we look for, because renovation is our normal work. It helps to know how long it has been empty, whether the water was drained down, and whether there has been a leak or a break-in. None of it needs sorting before you sell.

No. You don't need a gas safety certificate, an electrical report or a working boiler to sell a flat to us. Those are lender and landlord concerns, and we aren't borrowing against the property. If you have old certificates, guarantees or receipts in a drawer, pass them over, because it saves questions later. If you have nothing at all, we carry on anyway. It won't hold the sale up.