Get offers

How it works

We match your property with vetted cash buyers who buy in your area and buy homes like yours. They make the offers, your solicitor handles the sale, and you decide at every stage.

The short version

Sell My Property Online does not buy houses. We connect homeowners who need to sell quickly with cash buyers who can move fast, and the buyers pay us for each introduction. You tell us about your property, we match it with vetted buyers on our panel who buy in your area and buy your type of home, and they contact you with a view to making an offer. There is no cost to you and no obligation to accept anything.

Step by step

1. You tell us about the property

The form takes about two minutes. We ask where the property is, what kind of home it is, roughly what it is worth, how much is owed on it, why you are selling and how quickly, and its condition. Buyers need these answers to know whether they can help and to start thinking about a price.

2. We match you with the right buyers

We match your property with buyers on our panel who buy in your area and buy your type of home, and introduce you to up to three of them. Different buyers look for different things: some buy homes that need work, some buy flats and houses to let, and some buy with tenants already in place. Matching on area and property type means you hear from buyers who are looking for a home like yours.

At the end of the form you choose whether we can pass your details on. If you do not agree, nothing is passed on.

3. A buyer contacts you

The buyer will usually look at what similar homes nearby have sold for, ask you some questions, and may arrange to see the property. Some buyers give an indication of price before a visit, but a firm offer normally follows once they have seen it.

4. You compare offers and decide

Ask for every offer in writing, including who pays the legal fees and any conditions. Compare it with what homes like yours have sold for, and with an estate agent's valuation if you have one. You are free to say no. How to judge an offer.

A first offer usually depends on a survey and legal checks, and can change. Do not commit to buying another home until you have a final offer in writing.

5. Your solicitor handles the sale

If you accept, instruct your own independent solicitor or licensed conveyancer (in Scotland, a solicitor). They deal with the title, answer the buyer's enquiries, redeem any mortgage and handle exchange and completion.

6. Completion

On completion the buyer's money reaches your solicitor, your mortgage is repaid, and the balance comes to you. Completion can be possible in as little as 7 days in some cases. Most sales take longer. Timing depends on the buyer, your solicitor, searches, any mortgage to repay and whether you need probate or a leasehold pack. What affects the timing.

Who are the buyers?

Every buyer on our panel is vetted: property investors, investor consortiums, property funds and property companies. Each must show proof of funds before making an offer, so there are no timewasters.

  • Property investors. Private investors who buy homes to refurbish, let or sell on. Many buy in one area and know its streets and prices well.
  • Investor consortiums. Groups of investors who pool their money, so they can buy quickly, buy several homes at once or take on bigger projects.
  • Property funds. Investment funds building portfolios of homes to rent, often buying particular types of property in particular regions.
  • Property companies. Companies that buy homes needing work, homes with tenants in place, and properties other buyers find awkward.

Each buyer tells us the areas they buy in and the types of property they buy, and we use that to match your enquiry. More about our buyers.

How do we vet them?

No timewasters: before any buyer joins our panel, they must:

  • Pass our identity checks, plus company and director checks for businesses, before joining
  • Show proof of funds before making offers
  • If they buy as a business, belong to The Property Ombudsman and follow its code for property buying companies
  • Put every offer in writing, and explain any change to it in writing
  • Let you use your own independent solicitor, with no long tie-in agreements
  • Never charge you an upfront fee, pressure you to accept, or offer sale and rent back

We do not buy homes ourselves. With your consent, we pass your details to vetted cash buyers on our panel, who pay us a fee for each introduction. You never pay us anything.

Because buyers pay us per introduction, we have an interest in introducing you. That is why every buyer must meet the standards above, why you can see the buyers on our panel before you agree, and why we say plainly when a quick sale may not be your best option.

Our panel does not cover the whole market, so the offers you receive through us are not necessarily the highest available.

What cash buyers usually offer

Cash buyers usually offer less than full market value in return for speed and certainty. You are free to turn down any offer. A quick-sale buyer takes on the costs and risk of buying fast, often buys without a mortgage survey, and needs to make a return when they resell or let the property. The discount they need varies with the property, its condition and the local market.

If you have time, and your home would suit a buyer with a mortgage, an estate agent will usually achieve a higher price. A quick sale makes most sense when time, certainty or the condition of the property matter more than the last pound. Compare cash buyers, agents and auctions.

Protecting yourself

  • Never pay a buyer an upfront fee for an offer or a valuation.
  • Use your own solicitor, even if the buyer offers to recommend or pay for one.
  • Check the buyer belongs to The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme.
  • Be wary of an offer that drops sharply just before exchange (known as gazundering). How to avoid it.
  • Do not sign anything that ties you to one buyer for a long period.

Our guide to spotting rogue quick-sale companies goes through the warning signs in detail.

If you are selling because of money worries

Selling your home is a big decision, and it may not be the only way forward. Free, confidential advice is available from MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice and StepChange. If you are behind on your mortgage, your lender must consider other options before taking possession. Read more about arrears and repossession.

For formal debt solutions, our sister sites IVA Helpline (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and TrustDeeds.co.uk (Scotland) explain how IVAs and trust deeds work. They are run by Simply Quote Comparison Ltd, the company behind this site, and are enquiry services, not independent advice.

Questions about how it works

Why is the service free?

Cash buyers on our panel pay us a fee for each introduction, because finding homeowners who want to sell quickly costs them time and money. That fee does not come out of your sale proceeds, and you never pay us anything.

How many buyers will contact me?

Up to 3. We match your property with vetted buyers on our panel who buy in your area and buy homes like yours, so you hear from buyers who are looking for a property like yours. You can ask any buyer to stop contacting you at any time.

Will I be dealing with timewasters?

No. Every buyer on our panel passes our checks before joining, and must show proof of funds before making an offer. We only pass your details to buyers on our panel, and only if you agree.

Can I still sell through an estate agent?

Yes. Getting offers from cash buyers does not stop you selling any other way. If your home is already with an agent, check your agreement first, because a sole agency contract may mean you owe the agent a fee if you sell to someone else during the contract period.

What if I change my mind?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you can withdraw at any point before contracts are exchanged. In Scotland a sale becomes binding once missives are concluded. Before then, you are free to say no to any offer.