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Read Full Bio >Most ‘we buy any house’ scams follow seven patterns: upfront fees, inflated valuations later chipped down, lead brokers posing as buyers, option-agreement lock-ins, fake reviews, pressure selling, and no proof of funds. Genuine buyers do none of these.
Key takeaways
- The UK quick house sale sector is not regulated by the FCA, so the two checks that matter most are membership of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and registration with The Property Ombudsman (TPO).
- A genuine cash offer in 2026 is typically 75–85% of open-market value. An offer of 90–100% with a “guaranteed” completion is the single clearest warning sign.
- No genuine buyer asks for money upfront — not for a valuation, a survey, a reservation or “admin”. Legal fees are normally paid by the buyer.
- Many “we buy any house” websites are lead brokers, not buyers: they sell your details on and never had the funds to buy anything.
- You can verify almost any firm in about 10 minutes using Companies House, the NAPB member register, the TPO register and independent review sites.
What actually counts as a ‘we buy any house’ scam?
A ‘we buy any house’ scam is any quick-sale arrangement where the company takes your money, your time or your legal freedom without ever intending to complete on the terms it advertised. Outright theft is rare. The far more common damage is structural: a firm that is not a buyer, an offer that was never real, or a contract that traps you.
This matters because the sector attracts people under pressure. The Office of Fair Trading ran a market study into the quick house sale sector in 2013 and found that vulnerable sellers — people facing repossession, divorce, debt or care costs — were being pushed into last-minute price cuts and sales well below value. Four firms gave formal undertakings to change their behaviour, and the case file remains published on GOV.UK. The NAPB was formed the same year to self-regulate the sector, and HM Government’s own “How to sell a home” guidance still tells sellers to use an NAPB member.
Thirteen years on, the sector is still not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Anyone can register a company and put up a website promising to buy your house this week. That is the gap the seven scams below live in.
The 7 biggest ‘we buy any house’ scams and red flags
1. Upfront fees before the sale completes
What it looks like: a “valuation fee”, “survey contribution”, “reservation fee”, “legal deposit” or “admin charge” requested before anything has happened.
Why it is a red flag: a real cash buyer is spending its own money to acquire an asset. It pays for the survey and normally covers your legal fees too. Once you have paid, the leverage flips: you are now financially invested and much less likely to walk away when the offer drops.
What to do: refuse. There is no legitimate reason to pay a house-buying company anything before completion.
2. The inflated valuation, chipped down before exchange
What it looks like: an eye-catching first offer — say £250,000 on a home worth £255,000 — that becomes £205,000 days before exchange, blamed on “survey findings” or “unexpected repair costs”.
Why it is a red flag: this is the classic bait-and-switch the OFT identified in 2013, and it still works because sellers have usually given notice, booked removals or committed to an onward purchase. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland nothing is binding until exchange of contracts, so the price can legally move right up to that point.
How to tell it from an honest renegotiation: a genuine buyer reduces an offer rarely, evidences it with a written RICS survey or a specific quote, and does it as early as possible — not the afternoon before exchange, and not by a fifth of the price.
3. A lead broker posing as the buyer
What it looks like: a slick “we buy any house” site with a valuation form, no company details in the footer, and a call within minutes from someone who cannot answer basic questions about the purchase.
Why it is a red flag: the site is not a buyer at all. It captures your details and sells them on, sometimes to several firms at once. You end up cold-called for months, and no one in the chain ever had the funds to buy your house.
What to ask: “Are you the company that will be named as buyer on the contract, or are you passing my details to someone else?” Then check the privacy policy for third-party data sharing.
4. Option agreements and RX1 lock-ins
What it looks like: a document described as “just a formality” that turns out to be an option agreement, a lock-in or exclusivity clause — sometimes backed by an RX1, the HM Land Registry form used to enter a restriction against your title.
Why it is a red flag: an option agreement gives the company the right to buy, but no obligation to. A restriction on your title can stop you selling to anybody else until it is removed. You can be frozen for months while the firm looks for an investor to flip the contract to.
What to do: never sign anything that touches your title without an independent solicitor — your own, not one recommended by the buyer. Check the firm on the SRA register.
5. Fake reviews and cloned companies
What it looks like: hundreds of five-star reviews, all recent, all short, all glowing — or a company name and logo that is one word away from a well-known firm.
Why it is a red flag: the NAPB warns that a wall of nothing but five-star reviews is itself suspicious; an established buyer completing hundreds of purchases will always have some mixed feedback. Cloning is worse: fraudsters copy a legitimate firm’s branding and Companies House number to borrow its reputation.
What to do: cross-check reviews on at least two independent platforms (Trustpilot, Google, Feefo, allAgents), read the one- and two-star reviews first, and confirm the company number on Companies House matches the name and address on the website.
6. Pressure selling and the ‘today only’ offer
What it looks like: “this price is only valid until 5pm”, repeated calls, or a refusal to email terms so you can read them properly.
Why it is a red flag: urgency exists to stop you comparing offers or taking advice. A cash purchase is not a limited-time product — the buyer’s numbers do not change overnight. The TPO Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies requires members to give sellers time and clear information.
What to do: say you will come back tomorrow. A genuine buyer will say fine. A scammer will escalate.
7. No proof of funds and no named solicitor
What it looks like: vague talk about “our investors”, no bank statement or solicitor’s letter, and no conveyancer named on their side.
Why it is a red flag: if the money is not already available, the firm is trying to find a buyer for your house rather than buy it. That is not a cash sale, it is an unpaid, unregulated estate agency arrangement with none of the protections.
What to do: ask for written proof of funds and the name and SRA number of their solicitor before you agree anything. Both should arrive within a working day.
Genuine cash buyer vs scam operator: at a glance
| Signal | Genuine cash buyer | Scam or broker |
|---|---|---|
| Offer level | Around 75–85% of market value, explained | 90–100% “guaranteed”, or refuses to explain |
| Fees before completion | None — buyer usually covers legal costs | Valuation, survey, reservation or admin fees |
| Proof of funds | Bank statement or solicitor’s letter on request | “Our investors”, no evidence |
| Accreditation | NAPB member and TPO registered | Neither, or claims membership that is not on the register |
| Company details | Full name, company number and trading address published | PO Box, mobile only, Gmail address |
| Contract | Straight purchase, your own solicitor welcome | Option agreement, lock-in clause or RX1 restriction |
| Price changes | Rare, evidenced, early | Large cut days before exchange |
| Pace | Gives you time to take advice | “Today only”, repeated chasing |
How do I check a ‘we buy any house’ company is legitimate?
You can verify almost any firm in about ten minutes, before you give them a single document.
- Companies House — search the exact company name and number from the website footer. Check incorporation date, registered address, filed accounts and whether directors are disqualified elsewhere. A buyer with no filed accounts has no trading history.
- NAPB member register — check the firm appears on the NAPB members list, not just that it displays the logo.
- The Property Ombudsman — confirm they are registered with TPO. That gives you a free, independent route to complain if it goes wrong.
- Reviews on two platforms minimum — and read the negative ones. Look for a pattern of last-minute price drops.
- Proof of funds and solicitor details — in writing, before you sign anything. Verify the solicitor on the SRA register.
- Your own solicitor — instruct one independently. It is the single most effective protection available to you.
- HM Land Registry Property Alert — sign up free at GOV.UK to be emailed if anyone applies to change your title.
Why is a genuine offer below market value at all?
Because you are being paid for certainty rather than price. A buyer purchasing with its own funds carries the survey cost, the legal cost, the holding cost and the resale risk, and it completes in weeks rather than months. Around one in four sales agreed in the UK — roughly 24% — falls through before completion; a funded cash purchase removes that risk entirely.
That trade-off is real and legitimate. What is not legitimate is pretending it does not exist. If you want the fuller comparison, read our guide to how much below market value cash buyers offer and our breakdown of whether house buying companies charge fees.
What should I do if I think I have been scammed?
- Stop paying and stop signing. Do not send any further money or documents.
- Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk. Keep the crime reference.
- Complain to The Property Ombudsman if the firm is a member — the service is free and independent.
- Instruct your own solicitor immediately if a restriction, option or exclusivity agreement has been registered against your property.
- Register for Property Alert with HM Land Registry so you are notified of any activity on your title.
- Tell your bank straight away if you have transferred money.
Where does Springbok fit?
Springbok Properties Ltd (company no. 09045757) is a national estate agency regulated by The Property Ombudsman and a member of the NAPB. We offer both a fast cash sale and a full open-market sale, we publish our company details, and we never ask a seller for an upfront fee. If you want to sanity-check us the same way you would anyone else, start with our legitimacy page, our we buy any house guide and our complaints procedure.
For wider context on the sector, see are cash house buyers legit, house buying companies: the complete guide, the best house buying companies in the UK, whether you can trust we buy any house reviews and selling without an estate agent.
Frequently asked questions
Are all ‘we buy any house’ companies a scam?
No. Genuine cash buyers are legitimate businesses that buy below market value in exchange for speed and certainty. The problem is that the sector is not FCA-regulated, so anyone can build a website. Membership of the NAPB and The Property Ombudsman is the clearest dividing line between a real buyer and a chancer.
How much should a genuine ‘we buy any house’ company offer?
Expect roughly 75–85% of open-market value. That discount pays for the certainty, the speed and the fact the buyer carries the risk and the costs. Any firm promising 90–100% of market value with a guaranteed completion is either going to chip the price later or is not a buyer at all.
Should I ever pay a ‘we buy any house’ company upfront?
No. A genuine buyer never asks for money before completion — no valuation fee, no survey fee, no reservation fee, no admin charge. Legal fees are normally covered by the buyer. Any request for payment before the sale completes should end the conversation.
What is an option agreement and why is it a red flag?
An option agreement gives a company the right to buy your home later at a fixed price, without obliging them to buy at all. Paired with an RX1 restriction at HM Land Registry, it can stop you selling to anyone else for months. Never sign one without independent legal advice.
What do I do if a house buying company has already scammed me?
Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, complain to The Property Ombudsman if the firm is a member, and speak to an independent solicitor immediately. Sign up for HM Land Registry’s free Property Alert to be told if anyone tries to change your title.
Is Springbok Properties a ‘we buy any house’ company?
Springbok Properties Ltd (company no. 09045757) is a regulated national estate agency that offers both a fast cash sale and an open-market sale. We are regulated by The Property Ombudsman and are members of the NAPB, and we never charge sellers an upfront fee.
Written by Dan Green, Springbok Properties. Last updated 11 August 2026. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice — always take independent advice before signing anything relating to your property.
