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Read Full Bio >Yes — the genuine ones are. A legitimate “we buy any house” company is a UK-registered firm buying with its own funds, registered with The Property Ombudsman, and typically paying 75–85% of market value with no fees.
Key takeaways
- “We buy any house” is a marketing phrase, not a legal status: some firms are funded principals, others are lead-generation brokers who sell your enquiry on.
- The sector has no statutory regulator. Since 1 July 2014 genuine buyers have self-regulated through the NAPB code of practice, which requires registration with The Property Ombudsman (TPO).
- TPO can order a change of conduct and award compensation of up to £25,000 against a registered firm.
- A genuine cash offer is 75–85% of market value with zero fees. An advertised offer near 100% of market value is the single clearest warning sign.
- The three commonest complaints in 2026 are the lowball-after-survey price cut, completion-day gazundering, and unauthorised sale-and-rent-back offered by firms with no FCA authorisation.
Are “we buy any house” companies legit, or a scam?
Both exist, and they advertise almost identically. A legitimate quick-sale buyer is a real company with real money that buys your home at a discount in exchange for speed and certainty. A bad actor uses the same wording to capture your details, agree a headline price it never intends to pay, and renegotiate once you are committed.
The two look alike because nobody licenses the industry. Quick house sale firms are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (unless they offer sale-and-rent-back), and no statutory redress requirement applies to property buyers as it does to estate agents. What exists instead is voluntary self-regulation — and it works, but only if you check for it.
That structure dates back to the Office of Fair Trading’s 2013 market study into the quick house sale sector, which found widespread problems with last-minute price reductions and misleading valuations. The industry’s response was the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB), whose members follow a code of practice launched with The Property Ombudsman in force since 1 July 2014.
How is the “we buy any house” sector regulated in the UK?
It is self-regulated, not statutorily regulated. The protection you get depends entirely on which memberships and registrations the individual firm holds — which is why the checks below matter more here than in almost any other property transaction.
| Body | What it covers | Is it compulsory? |
|---|---|---|
| Companies House | Legal existence, registered address, filed accounts, directors | Yes — for any UK limited company |
| HMRC anti-money-laundering supervision | Source-of-funds and identity checks on property purchases | Yes — for firms in scope |
| The Property Ombudsman (TPO) | Free, independent complaints; awards up to £25,000 | No — voluntary for property buyers |
| NAPB membership | Code of practice on offers, transparency and conduct; TPO registration required | No — voluntary |
| FCA authorisation | Sale-and-rent-back only (selling and staying on as a tenant) | Yes — if sale-and-rent-back is offered |
The practical takeaway: TPO registration and NAPB membership are optional, so a firm that has both has chosen to be accountable. A firm that has neither has chosen not to be, and you have no free route to redress if the deal goes wrong.
How do you check a “we buy any house” company is genuine?
Six checks, in this order, before you sign anything. Together they take about fifteen minutes and they filter out almost every problem firm.
- Look the company up at Companies House. Search the exact trading name on the Companies House register. Check the incorporation date, the registered office, and whether accounts are filed and current. A brand-new shell company with a virtual office is a reason to slow down.
- Confirm TPO registration. Search the firm on the TPO website. If it is not there, you have no free, independent complaints route — only the courts.
- Check NAPB membership. Members are listed on the NAPB site. Do not accept a logo on a website as proof; verify it on the association’s own register.
- Ask one question: are you buying with your own funds? Ask it in writing. A funded principal will say yes and can evidence it. A broker will hedge, talk about “our panel of buyers”, or say it depends on the property. Neither answer is illegal — but you need to know which you are dealing with, because a broker cannot guarantee your price or your date.
- Read the reviews that cannot be curated. Trustpilot and Google are useful; so are the property forums, where sellers describe what happened at week six rather than week one. Look specifically for the phrase “reduced the price”.
- Instruct your own solicitor. Not one recommended, introduced or paid for by the buyer. This is the single most effective protection you have, and a genuine buyer will have no objection to it.
If you want the longer version of this process, our guide to whether cash house buyers are legit works through the same checks with worked examples, and how house buying companies work explains the mechanics of the transaction itself.
What are the biggest “we buy any house” scams?
Almost every complaint in the sector reduces to one of four patterns. None of them are subtle once you know the shape of them.
The four patterns to walk away from
- The lowball after survey. A strong headline price wins your agreement; weeks later a survey appears and the offer drops 10–20%. A price cut is only reasonable if a survey has found a specific, material defect nobody knew about — and you should see the report.
- Completion-day gazundering. The price is cut hours before exchange, when you have removal vans booked and an onward purchase depending on it. This is legal in England and Wales, which is precisely why reputable buyers do not do it and why a written offer with no reduction clause matters.
- The broker in disguise. A website that says “we buy any house” but owns no funds. Your enquiry is sold to an investor, and the price you were quoted was never anyone’s commitment. Most last-minute drops originate here.
- Upfront and hidden fees. A survey fee, a “legal admin” fee, a valuation charge, or an unexplained deduction on the completion statement. A genuine buyer charges the seller nothing at all — see our breakdown of house buying company fees.
One more: if a firm offers to buy your home and rent it back to you, check the FCA register before going any further. Sale-and-rent-back is a regulated activity, and an unauthorised firm offering it is committing an offence.
What should a genuine offer actually look like?
A real offer is specific, written, and roughly 75–85% of open-market value. The discount is the product: you are buying speed and certainty, and the price reflects that. Anything advertised at or near full market value is either a broker’s lead-generation number or a figure that will be cut later.
| Signal | Genuine buyer | Firm to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Offer level | 75–85% of market value, stated in writing | “Up to 100% of market value” |
| Fees to you | None — legal fees usually covered | Upfront survey, admin or valuation fees |
| Funding | Own funds, evidenced on request | “Our panel of investors” |
| Redress | TPO registered, NAPB member | Neither, or an unverifiable logo |
| Timescale | 7–28 days, date chosen by you | Vague, or slipping without explanation |
| Price changes | Only on evidenced survey findings | Repeated cuts, pressure, deadlines |
| Your solicitor | Encouraged, independent | Pushed towards the buyer’s own firm |
For the arithmetic behind the discount — and why the real gap against an estate agent sale is narrower than 20% once commission, legal fees and five months of running costs come out — see how much below market value cash buyers offer and our side-by-side of cash buyer vs estate agent.
Is it worth selling to a “we buy any house” company at all?
It is worth it when speed and certainty are worth more to you than the last 15–25% of value. Around one in four agreed UK sales — roughly 24% — collapses before completion, and the average open-market sale takes about five months. If you are facing a deadline, a broken chain, a repossession date or an empty inherited property, a guaranteed completion date has real value.
It is not worth it if you have a straightforward, desirable home and several months to spare — the open market will net you more. We set out both sides in the pros and cons of selling for cash, and compare the main firms in the best house buying companies in the UK.
Springbok Properties Ltd is registered at Companies House (company no. 09045757), regulated by The Property Ombudsman and a member of the NAPB. If you would rather check us the way this article tells you to check anyone else, start with is Springbok legit? and our we buy any house guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are ‘we buy any house’ companies legit?
The genuine ones are. A legitimate UK cash buyer is registered at Companies House, registered with The Property Ombudsman, usually a member of the NAPB, and buys with its own funds. The sector has no statutory regulator, so the checks fall to you — verify before you sign anything.
Is ‘We Buy Any House’ the same as a cash buyer?
Not always. ‘We buy any house’ is a marketing phrase, not a legal status. Some firms using it are funded principals buying with their own money; others are lead-generation brokers who sell your enquiry on to third-party investors. Ask directly which one you are dealing with.
How much do ‘we buy any house’ companies pay?
A genuine UK cash buyer typically pays 75–85% of market value — around 80% on average — with no fees, no commission and legal costs covered. Any advertised offer at or near 100% of market value is a warning sign, not a bargain.
Do ‘we buy any house’ companies charge fees?
A genuine one charges the seller nothing: no commission, no listing fee, no valuation charge, and reputable buyers also pay your legal fees. If a company asks for money upfront, or deducts an unexplained ‘admin’ or ‘survey’ fee at completion, walk away.
What should I do if a cash buyer drops the price at the last minute?
Stop and take advice from your own solicitor before agreeing. A late cut with no new survey evidence is gazundering, and you are under no obligation to accept it. If the firm is registered with The Property Ombudsman you can complain free, and TPO can award compensation of up to £25,000.
How do I report a house buying company scam?
Report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, and complain to The Property Ombudsman if the firm is registered. You can also add a free HM Land Registry Property Alert to your title so you are told if anyone tries to register a change against it.
