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Read Full Bio >Ten NAPB-member companies buy houses for cash in the UK with their own funds: Springbok Properties, Quick Move Now, We Buy Any Home, Property Solvers, House Buyer Bureau, Good Move, Property Rescue, HouseBuyers4U, Upstix and Smoothsale.
- All ten companies below are members of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB), founded in 2013, whose members must also register with The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and follow its Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies.
- The single most useful distinction is principal buyer versus lead generator. A principal buys your house with its own money. A lead generator sells your enquiry to someone else — and never has to complete.
- Genuine UK cash buyers pay roughly 75–85% of market value, and complete in 7–28 days. Any company promising 90%+ and a seven-day completion is describing two different things it cannot deliver together.
- The sector has been scrutinised before: the Office of Fair Trading opened a market study into quick house sales in April 2013 and reported that August. Four firms later gave formal undertakings to change their practices.
- No company on any list is pre-vetted for you. Before you sign anything, check the legal name and company number at Companies House, ask for written proof of funds, and read the contract for tie-in periods and withdrawal fees.
Which companies buy houses for cash in the UK?
The ten companies below all state that they buy residential property in England, Wales and (in most cases) Scotland using their own cash reserves rather than a mortgage, and all are listed members of the NAPB. Treat the numbering as a reference list rather than a ranking — the right company depends on your property and your deadline, not on a league table.
| Company | Model | Notable fact | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Springbok Properties | Principal buyer + two other routes | 19,000+ sellers since 2012 | Sellers who want the cash price compared against alternatives before committing |
| 2. Quick Move Now | Principal cash buyer | Founded 1998; NAPB founding member | Longest track record in the sector |
| 3. We Buy Any Home | Principal cash buyer | Among the UK’s largest by volume | Scale and nationwide coverage |
| 4. Property Solvers | Cash purchase or auction | Run by working property professionals | Sellers weighing auction against a cash sale |
| 5. House Buyer Bureau | Principal cash buyer | Buying with own funds since 2010 | Straightforward, no-frills cash purchases |
| 6. Good Move | Principal cash buyer | Property-surveying background | Properties where condition drives the valuation |
| 7. Property Rescue | Principal cash buyer | Buys direct, no intermediaries | Sellers who want one point of contact |
| 8. HouseBuyers4U | Principal cash buyer | Trading 20+ years; offers cash advances | Sellers needing funds before completion |
| 9. Upstix | Tech-led principal buyer | Digital offers within 48 hours | Standard, easily-valued homes |
| 10. Smoothsale | Principal cash buyer | Nationwide; cash in as little as 7 days | A fee-free, deadline-driven sale |
Springbok appears first because this is our guide and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What follows is the part that matters more than the order: how to check any of these companies yourself, and how to tell a real cash buyer from something wearing the same website.
What does “buys houses for cash” actually mean?
It means the buyer completes the purchase from money it already holds, with no mortgage, no lender valuation and no chain behind it. That is the whole of the advantage: nothing in the transaction depends on a third party’s underwriting decision.
It does not mean banknotes. UK property is transferred through solicitors and the funds arrive by bank transfer at completion, then the transfer is registered with HM Land Registry. If any company suggests physical cash or a payment routed outside your solicitor’s client account, stop and report it to Action Fraud.
The phrase is also used loosely by companies that are not buyers at all. Our guide to what it really means to sell a house for cash unpicks the terminology in more detail.
How do you tell a genuine cash buyer from a lead generator?
Ask one question in writing: “Are you the buyer, or are you introducing me to a buyer?” A principal buyer answers immediately and can evidence funds. A lead generator gives you a paragraph about its “network of investors”. That single exchange separates most of the market.
| What to check | Genuine cash buyer | Lead generator or broker |
|---|---|---|
| Who completes | The company named on the contract | An unnamed third-party investor |
| Proof of funds | Provided in writing, solicitor to solicitor | Deflected, or “available on request” indefinitely |
| Fees to you | None — legal costs covered | Admin, valuation or withdrawal fees appear |
| Offer stability | Firm after survey, held to exchange | Revised downwards close to exchange |
| Tie-in period | None, or clearly time-limited | Exclusivity clause signed before a final figure |
| Redress scheme | Registered with The Property Ombudsman | No named scheme, or “we follow best practice” |
| Your solicitor | You instruct your own, independently | Strong pressure to use theirs |
A tie-in or exclusivity agreement presented before you have a firm, survey-backed figure. Sign it and you lose the only leverage you have — the ability to walk away when the number changes.
Are companies that buy houses for cash regulated?
Not by a statutory regulator. There is no FCA-equivalent for quick house sales, so the protections are contractual and voluntary — which is precisely why membership of the right bodies matters.
The sector’s history explains the gap. In April 2013 the Office of Fair Trading opened a market study into quick house sales, publishing its report that August; it wrote to 50 firms and four subsequently gave undertakings to change how they operated. The National Association of Property Buyers was formed the same year, and its members must register with The Property Ombudsman and follow the TPO Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies. That gives you a free, independent route to adjudication if a sale goes wrong.
Membership is a floor, not a guarantee. It tells you a company has agreed to a code and to redress; it does not tell you the offer will hold. Verify it yourself on the NAPB and TPO websites rather than trusting a logo in a website footer.
How much do cash house buying companies pay?
Between 75% and 85% of open market value, with around 80% the realistic midpoint. The discount is the price of certainty: the company takes on the risk, the holding costs and the resale, and pays you now instead of in four months.
Compare that against the true cost of the alternative rather than against the asking price. On the open market you pay agent commission plus VAT, you carry council tax, insurance and utilities while the sale runs, and roughly one in four agreed UK sales collapses before completion. Our breakdown of how much below market value cash buyers really offer works the arithmetic through, and do house buying companies charge fees? covers what should never be deducted.
Be most suspicious of the highest number. An initial offer well above the 85% ceiling is the classic setup for a reduction days before exchange — legal in England and Wales, where nothing binds until contracts are exchanged, and known as gazundering.
How do you check a cash buying company before you commit?
Five free checks, about ten minutes in total. Do them before the valuation appointment, not after.
- Companies House. Search the exact legal name at Companies House. Check the incorporation date, the filed accounts and whether the same directors run a trail of dissolved lookalike companies. (Springbok Properties Ltd is company number 09045757.)
- NAPB and TPO. Confirm the membership on the NAPB and The Property Ombudsman websites, using the legal entity name — not the trading name on the adverts.
- Written proof of funds. Ask for it before you accept anything. A funded buyer supplies it without friction.
- The contract. Read specifically for tie-in periods, exclusivity clauses, withdrawal fees and whether legal fees are genuinely covered rather than “contributed to”.
- Your own solicitor. Instruct one independently. It is the single cheapest piece of protection in the whole transaction.
If you are still deciding between routes rather than between companies, cash buyer vs estate agent vs auction and the pros and cons of selling for cash set out the trade-offs. For a fuller roundup see the best house buying companies in the UK and our top 10 house buying companies.
Where does Springbok fit in?
Springbok Properties Ltd (company number 09045757) is an NAPB member regulated by The Property Ombudsman, and has worked with more than 19,000 sellers since 2012. We buy with our own funds — but we also offer two other routes, because a cash sale is not always the right answer for the house in front of us.
If your property would sell perfectly well in eight weeks on the open market, we will say so. The honest version of this question is answered in is Springbok Properties legit? and are cash house buyers legit?
Frequently asked questions
Which companies buy houses for cash in the UK?
NAPB-member companies that buy with their own funds include Springbok Properties, Quick Move Now, We Buy Any Home, Property Solvers, House Buyer Bureau, Good Move, Property Rescue, HouseBuyers4U, Upstix and Smoothsale. Verify any company’s membership directly on the NAPB and Property Ombudsman websites before you commit.
Are companies that buy houses for cash legit?
The established ones are legitimate businesses, but the sector has no statutory regulator. Protection comes from NAPB membership, registration with The Property Ombudsman, written proof of funds and a contract with no tie-in period. Verify all four yourself rather than relying on logos displayed on a company website.
How much will a cash house buying company pay?
Typically 75% to 85% of open market value, with around 80% a realistic midpoint. The discount buys speed and certainty. Treat an initial offer above 85% as a warning sign, because nothing is binding until exchange of contracts and the figure can still be reduced.
How quickly can these companies complete?
Most genuine cash buyers complete in 7 to 28 days, against roughly 12 to 16 weeks for a typical estate agent sale. The limit is usually your solicitor’s searches and paperwork rather than the buyer’s funds, so instructing a solicitor early is the fastest thing you can do.
Do cash house buying companies charge fees?
A genuine cash buyer charges nothing and covers your legal costs. Any request for an upfront fee, valuation charge, administration fee or withdrawal penalty is a red flag. If a company asks you to pay anything at any stage of the sale, stop and check its NAPB and Property Ombudsman status.
Is a cash buying company better than an estate agent?
Neither is better in the abstract. A cash buyer wins on speed and certainty; an estate agent wins on price. If your property is straightforward and you can wait three to four months, an agent will usually net more. If a deadline, a chain break or a problem property is driving the sale, cash is worth the discount.
