27 free guides · Checked September 2026
Guides to selling your home quickly
Straight answers on quick sales, cash buyers, auctions and the legal steps, so you can understand the trade-offs before you decide anything.
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New to this? Read these first
- How a quick house sale works, step by step
- How much do cash house buyers pay?
- Cash buyer vs estate agent vs auction: which suits you?
Ready to see offers? Get started. It is free.
How quick sales work
The steps, the timescales and what a quick sale really costs.
- How a quick house sale works, step by step Every step of a quick sale, from first enquiry to completion day. Read guide
- How much do cash house buyers pay? Why offers are below market value, and how to judge one. Read guide
- Can you really sell a house in 7 days? What has to go right for a 7-day sale, and why most take longer. Read guide
- How to sell your house fast: practical tips for any route Balanced, practical tips for a faster sale by any route. Read guide
- How long does it take to sell a house with no chain? Realistic timescales for chain-free sales, and what still slows them down. Read guide
Choosing a buyer or route
Cash buyers, estate agents, auctions and the other ways to sell.
- Cash buyer vs estate agent vs auction: which suits you? Speed, price, certainty and fees compared across the main routes. Read guide
- The modern method of auction explained Reservation fees, timescales and the criticisms of conditional auctions. Read guide
- Can you sell your house without an estate agent? Private sales, online agents, auctions and cash buyers, and the rules that still apply. Read guide
- "We buy any house" companies: how they work, what they pay and how to check reviews How these firms work, what they pay, the pros and cons and Scotland. Read guide
- Best cash house buyers in the UK: how to judge who is best for you A 10-point checklist for judging any cash buyer, and the red flags. Read guide
- Can I sell my house to the council or a housing association? When councils and housing associations buy homes, and what selling means for social housing. Read guide
Staying safe
How to check a buyer, read reviews and avoid the traps.
- Are quick house sale companies legit? How to spot a rogue firm Warning signs, simple checks and how to complain. Read guide
- What is gazundering, and how can you protect yourself? Last-minute price cuts: why they are legal and how to guard against them. Read guide
- Sale and rent back: how it works and the risks What sale and rent back involves, the FCA rules and the risks. Read guide
- Cash house buyer reviews: how to read them and check a buyer is legit Reading reviews critically, fake review law and the checks that matter. Read guide
Mortgages and money
Selling with a mortgage, a loan or equity release still in place.
- Selling a house with a mortgage Redemption, early repayment charges, porting and negative equity. Read guide
- Can you sell your house during a fixed rate mortgage? Early repayment charges, porting, redemption figures and timing your sale. Read guide
- Can you sell your house if you have equity release? Lifetime mortgages, home reversion, early repayment charges and moving home. Read guide
- Selling a house with a Help to Buy equity loan Repaying the equity loan, RICS valuations, fees and selling below value. Read guide
- How soon can you sell a house after buying it? No legal minimum, but mortgage charges, tax, costs and negative equity. Read guide
- Can I sell my house and still live in it? Equity release, sale and rent back, selling to family and downsizing. Read guide
Tax, legal and paperwork
Capital Gains Tax, documents, tenants, family sales and Scotland.
- Documents you need to sell a house A checklist of the paperwork for a sale, and where to find it. Read guide
- Capital gains tax on selling a house Private Residence Relief, current rates, allowances and the 60-day deadline. Read guide
- Selling a house quickly in Scotland Home Reports, closing dates, missives and quick sales in Scotland, plus Northern Ireland. Read guide
- Can you sell your house to your son or daughter for £1? Selling to family below value: CGT, Inheritance Tax, Stamp Duty and care costs. Read guide
- Can you sell your house to your own limited company? CGT, Stamp Duty, incorporation relief and lender issues for landlords. Read guide
- Selling a house with tenants: how it works in England, Wales, Scotland and NI The mechanics of selling with a tenant in place, across the UK. Read guide
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Need to sell quickly?
- Tell us about the property in 2 minutes
- Vetted buyers: individuals and institutions
- No obligation to accept any offer
Cash buyers usually offer less than full market value in return for speed and certainty. You are free to turn down any offer.
These guides explain, in plain English, how to sell a home quickly in the UK: how each route works, what it is likely to cost you, how long it takes and where the risks are. They are written for homeowners who need to move, whether because of a probate sale, a separation, money worries, a new job or a chain that has collapsed.
Selling a home takes about five months on average, according to GOV.UK. Faster routes exist, but speed usually has a price. A quick sale to a cash buyer normally means accepting less than your home would fetch on the open market, in return for speed and certainty. MoneyHelper, the government-backed guidance service, says the same. We would rather you understood that trade-off before you contact anyone, including us.
Where should you start?
If you are new to this, read how quick house sales work first, then how much cash house buyers pay for an honest look at why offers are below market value. Before you agree to anything, check the buyer is legitimate: the quick sale market is largely unregulated.
Where a guide quotes a tax rate, fee or deadline, it links to the official source so you can check the current position. Most guides describe England and Wales and say where Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. There is a separate guide to selling quickly in Scotland.
Who writes these guides?
Sell My Property Online is a trading style of Simply Quote Comparison Ltd. We are an introducer, not a buyer, estate agent or adviser. If you would like to understand what happens when you use us, see how it works.
Common questions
Are these guides financial or legal advice?
No. They explain how quick sales, the legal process and the tax rules generally work, and point you to free, independent help. For advice on your own situation, speak to a solicitor or licensed conveyancer (a solicitor in Scotland), a qualified tax adviser, or a free debt advice service.
Does Sell My Property Online buy houses?
No. We introduce homeowners, with their consent, to vetted cash buyers on our panel, and those buyers pay us for each introduction. We never buy, value or make offers on homes, and you never pay us anything.
Do the guides cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Most guides describe the process in England and Wales and note where Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. There is also a dedicated guide to selling quickly in Scotland, with a section on Northern Ireland.