Check the whole cost schedule
Ask about administration, valuation, legal, marketing and cancellation charges, including VAT where applicable. Check whether costs are paid directly, reimbursed only at completion or deducted from proceeds.
An offer with no separate fee can still be below market value. Compare the net outcome rather than judging the fee label alone.
Read legal-fee contributions carefully
Ask whether you can choose an independent adviser, how much is covered and whether specialist or additional work is excluded. Establish who pays if the transaction fails.
Do not accept a restriction simply because a buyer offers to pay legal costs. Have your adviser explain the agreement and independence arrangements.
Watch for newly introduced costs
Keep dated versions of the offer and terms. If fees appear later, ask why and whether they were disclosed before you agreed. Do not transfer unexpected payments without verification.
A suspicious payment request or change of bank details should be checked through a trusted contact method. For disputes, use written complaints and check any relevant redress scheme’s scope.
Sources & review
Last reviewed:
No buyer, price or deadline is endorsed or guaranteed. Cash funding does not remove legal checks. Offer percentages are editorial scenarios, not current measured market ranges. The OFT study and CMA investigation are historical. Legal guidance primarily concerns England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Images are AI-generated illustrations, not actual transactions.
- MoneyHelper — Quick house sales
Government-backed guidance: quick-sale companies usually buy for less than a regular sale would achieve, may offer much less than market value, and many are unregulated.
- GOV.UK — How to sell a home
England and Wales: selling costs, paperwork, leasehold information, valuations, chains and legally binding exchange (sections 2–7, 16–17 and 21–22).
- CMA / OFT — Quick house sales investigation
Historical investigation (2013–14): quick-sale firms usually buy at a discount; undertakings address misleading offers, price reductions and completion promises. This is not a current market-price or speed survey.
- OFT — Quick house sales market study (OFT1499, 2013)
Found quick-sale buyers typically paid around 10–25% below market value (roughly 75–90% of it), sometimes working to a target such as 80% before adjusting for location and condition; much larger discounts were sometimes seen. Historical (2013), not a current measured average.
Review dates record our source check, not the date a rule took effect. Rules can change; check the linked guidance before acting. Legal processes differ across the UK.