Why the headline price misleads
An estate agent’s valuation is the best-case number. It assumes the home sells at that price, to a buyer whose mortgage goes through, with no delays. In practice you pay a fee, you carry the mortgage, bills and council tax until completion, and some sales fall through and start again. A cash offer is lower on paper, but it removes most of those variables. Neither is automatically better. It depends on your numbers.
Why sellers choose us: the low-hassle route
Selling through an agent means photos, viewings, strangers in your home, negotiating, chasing a chain and waiting on a buyer’s mortgage. Selling to a direct cash buyer is simpler.
| Typical estate agent sale | Property Offers | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees to you | Agent fee plus extras | No fees to sellers |
| Viewings | Open viewings, often for months | None needed |
| Buyer’s finance | Mortgage can be cut or withdrawn | Cash, bridging and mortgage funded by us |
| Chain | You depend on every link | No chain |
| Time to completion | Months | Typically 7 to 28 days |
| Price certainty | Can be renegotiated or reduced | Offer in writing, no obligation |
| Your effort | High | One call, we do the rest with your solicitor |
The quiet risk: an overpriced valuation
Agents win instructions by valuing high, and the data shows why that backfires. According to Zoopla data reported in an October 2026 South East market update, 41% of homes priced below their estimated value sold within 90 days, compared with 26% of homes priced 20% or more above it. A high asking price can cost you months, and a relisted home often ends up selling for less. We tell you our price up front, in writing, so you are never relying on a figure that may not hold.
Work out your real figure
Net-Proceeds Calculator
Enter your own figures. The defaults are only starting points, so change them. Nothing is sent or stored.
If the result favours the estate agent, that is useful to know: it means you can afford to wait and should. If it favours the cash offer, you now have evidence rather than a feeling. Either way, you are deciding with facts.
When a cash sale is the smarter move
A cash sale tends to win when holding costs are high, when you are behind on payments, when a divorce, probate or a tenant is involved, or when a lender’s deadline is approaching. It also wins when your property is hard to mortgage, such as a short lease, non-standard construction or poor condition, because many buyers cannot get a loan on it. If any of that sounds like your situation, the cost of waiting usually outweighs the discount.
When you should stay with an estate agent
If you are not in a hurry and can carry the costs, an estate agent may achieve a higher price, and that is a fair choice. Before you commit, ask your agent three straight questions: what share of their agreed sales fell through last year, how far below asking their sales actually completed, and how long their slowest took. Compare those honest answers with a written cash offer. Sellers who do this decide with confidence, whichever route they take.
If time is running out
If you are facing repossession, call your lender first and take free debt advice, because lenders are expected to treat borrowers fairly and support is available. Then compare your options with your real figures. Selling before the position worsens can protect your equity and your credit record. We will not rush you, and we will tell you straight what we can and cannot do.
Your next 48 hours
Write down your monthly cost of holding the property and the date any deadline falls, whether that is a lender letter, a court date or a tenancy ending. Ask your agent, honestly, how many sales they have lost to fall-throughs this year. Then get a cash offer in writing so you can compare real numbers. It costs nothing, it commits you to nothing, and it turns a stressful guess into a decision you can defend. If you are in London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire or Middlesex, we can usually respond the same day.
Where we buy
We buy nationwide, with particular demand in London, Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and West London, including towns such as Guildford, Reading, Slough, Watford, St Albans, Harrow, Uxbridge, Ealing and Hounslow. Wherever you are, get in touch and we will tell you promptly whether we can help.
Sources: calculator logic and defaults are illustrative; replace them with your own figures. Fall-through risk reflects 2026 market data on sales collapsing before completion. General information, not financial advice.
Know your numbers? Now get your offer.
Tell us about your property and we will give you a no-obligation cash offer, usually within 24 hours. No fees, no chain, no pressure. Lines open 24/7.