Selling your home quickly, whatever the reason

Most people sell their home at a pace that suits them. Some don’t have that luxury. If you need to sell quickly, the right route depends on why: the rules, the risks and the free help available are different for an inherited house, a divorce, mortgage arrears or a move abroad.

This section takes the common reasons one at a time. Each guide explains how the situation works in practice, what the law says where it matters, and how a quick sale compares with the alternatives.

Why do people need to sell quickly?

The reasons tend to fall into a few groups.

• Life changes. A death in the family, a separation, a new job in another part of the country, or a move overseas.
• Money pressure. Mortgage arrears, other debts, a drop in income, or the need to release money for care.
• Property problems. A chain that has collapsed, a house that has sat on the market for months, an empty home costing money every month, or a buy-to-let you no longer want.
• Timing. You’ve found your next home and need to sell to secure it.

Some of these come with legal steps that set the pace, whatever buyer you choose. Probate, court orders and tenancy rules are good examples. The guides flag these early so you can plan around them.

How should you use these guides?

Start with the guide closest to your situation, then follow the links to related topics. Where the rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we say which nation we’re describing. If you’re selling in Scotland, our guide to selling a house in Scotland explains how offers and missives work there.

We also tell you plainly when a quick sale is probably not the right answer. A sale to a cash buyer usually means accepting less than full market value in return for speed and certainty. That trade-off makes sense for some people and not for others. Our guide to how much cash buyers pay explains why.

If you’re dealing with arrears, debt or care costs, please speak to a free adviser before you decide anything. The relevant guides list who to contact.

Where do we fit in?

We don’t buy houses, value them or make offers. With your consent, we introduce you to vetted cash buyers on our panel, who pay us for each introduction. You never pay us anything. You can read how it works, or, when you’re ready, tell us about your property.