Should I accept a cash offer on my house?

The right route depends on the property, the written terms and your priorities. Compare fees, ongoing bills, buyer funding and the proposed completion date. We assess each property individually and explain our offer without an obligation to accept.

We assess each property individually, using its condition, location, tenure and the information you give us. We explain our offer in writing so you can consider it without obligation. It may change if legal checks reveal a material issue or the property differs from its description.

Compare written offers alongside fees, ongoing bills, buyer funding and the proposed completion date. An asking price is not a confirmed sale. Ask each provider what could change before exchange, and choose the route that suits your circumstances.

You can decline any offer that does not suit you. Ask for time to consider the written terms, check the buyer's identity and funding, and speak to your own solicitor before signing.

Yes, and most sellers should. Get two or three agent valuations and one or two written cash offers together. Neither carries a fee or obligation. The agent valuations give you the open-market ceiling and the cash offers give you the certainty-weighted floor, so you can compare the two net figures side by side before deciding.

A genuine written cash offer should come with no obligation to proceed and no pressure to sign on the spot. A reputable buyer will explain how the figure was calculated and give you time to compare it. Read the heads of terms before signing anything, and be cautious of any clause that lets the offer be revised late in the process.

Confirm they are buying with their own funds as a principal rather than signing you to terms and reselling the deal, which reintroduces chain risk. Check the company on Companies House, look for National Association of Property Buyers and Property Ombudsman membership, and get written confirmation of who pays the conveyancing. We buy with our own funds, can cover your legal fees if you use our panel solicitor, and don't reassign contracts.

A cash sale typically completes in 7 to 28 days from accepting the offer, sometimes in as little as 7 days, because there is no mortgage application and no chain. The usual limit on the timeline is your own paperwork, such as ID checks, title deeds and any leasehold management pack, rather than the buyer's funds. If you need longer, a good buyer will work to a completion date that suits you.

With a reputable cash buyer there are no agent fees, and we can cover your legal fees if you use our panel solicitor. That means the figure you accept is the figure that reaches your account on completion, with nothing taken off for fees. Taxes are separate: any Capital Gains Tax remains your responsibility on either route, so take independent tax advice where it applies.

Usually no, but it depends how close the date is. A cash sale can complete in 7 to 28 days, and the fastest we have done is 7 days, so there is often still time to sell before the court acts. Tell your lender a sale is under way, because they may agree to hold off. Ring us as soon as you can and we will be straight with you about whether the timing works.

Some buyers do try this, which is why you should ask up front whether the figure can change. Our written offer stands for 14 days and is based on what you tell us about the house. The only thing that moves it is something genuinely new coming out of the legal work, such as a title problem or serious damage nobody knew about. A buyer who cuts the price days before exchange for no clear reason is one to walk away from.

Get a firm cash offer in place fast so you have something solid to tell your seller. We can put a written offer to you the same day, and completion can be 7 to 28 days, which is often enough to hold a purchase together. Tell your solicitor and the other side what is happening. If your seller can wait a few weeks, a cash sale often saves the move.

It will if the sale covers your mortgage, the arrears and any fees, and your solicitor pays the lender straight from the sale money before anything reaches you. Ask your lender for a redemption figure so you know the exact amount owed, then hold it next to the offer. If the offer doesn't cover it, say so. There are still options, but you need honest advice rather than a rushed sale.

You can still sell, but your lender has to agree, because the sale won't repay the loan in full. Any shortfall normally stays as a debt in your name, so this isn't a decision to make quickly. Get a redemption figure from your lender and speak to a free adviser such as StepChange or Citizens Advice first. We will tell you plainly if selling isn't in your interest.

It can be, so trust your gut. A time limit is normal, because prices and costs move, but it should be a fair window and clearly explained. Ours stays open for 14 days and we won't pressure you into deciding. What isn't normal is being told to decide today, being pushed to sign before you have read anything, or being warned the price drops if you take advice. That is pressure, and it is a reason to walk away.

No, we buy houses in any condition and we often prefer the ones that need work. You don't have to clear it, clean it, decorate it or repair anything. The condition is priced into the offer, so a house needing a lot doing gets a lower figure than one ready to live in. The trade is that you spend nothing up front and you aren't tidying the place up for a stream of viewings.

Yes, within reason. A fast completion is an option, not a rule, so if you need longer to find somewhere, we can work to a date that suits you. Sellers often line it up with a new tenancy, a court order or an onward purchase. Tell us the date early so the solicitors aim for it. What we can't do is let you stay on after completion, so pick a date you can actually meet.

They might, and any fee would come from your existing agency contract rather than from us. Read that contract before you accept anything. Many agreements have a tie-in period or sole selling rights, which can mean a fee is still due even when you find the buyer yourself. Check the notice period as well. If you are unsure, ask the agent in writing what you would owe. We would rather you sorted that out first than got a surprise bill after completion.