Ask what the advertised date includes
Is the promise measured from first contact, inspection, a confirmed offer or a complete legal pack? Ask what must happen before the date is achievable and whether it is a target or contractual commitment.
A company that must find another investor adds a dependency. Have your solicitor verify available funding and the actual purchaser.
Prepare what you control
Instruct an adviser early, return forms accurately and collect mortgage, title and building-work records. Leasehold management information and estate authority should be requested promptly where relevant.
Keep communication organised and ask about unresolved items. Fast replies help, but cannot guarantee that searches or third-party enquiries finish on a chosen date.
Keep dates provisional until confirmed
Our timeline calculator uses editorial planning scenarios, not measured averages. Do not book irreversible moving or purchase arrangements on an initial estimate.
Ask your local solicitor when the agreement becomes binding and what happens if a deadline is missed. If court proceedings are involved, obtain lender and legal advice independently of the buyer.
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.