Having To Sell Your Home Quickly Doesn’t Mean You Have To Feel Vulnerable

26 May 2015

Selling a house is one of the most stressful times of your life and if you have to do it in a hurry it can often heighten the stress levels, sending blood pressure through the roof and causing endless sleepless nights… but the good news is it doesn’t have to be that way.

As a home owner looking to sell your property quickly, you shouldn’t feel in a vulnerable position. Members of NAPB are definitely in the house seller’s camp when it comes to following strict protocol and offering absolute transparency for an individual, business or family looking to use fast property buying services.

However, not every service provider in the quick house buying market offers the same stringent high standards of those required by NAPB members. If you are looking to sell quickly, make sure the business you are selling too is registered with us.

A full list of our members can be found HERE.

Things to be wary of;

A recent market study into the ‘Quick House Sale’ sector by the Office of Fair Trading (Now The CMA) noted four areas to be aware of if you are seeking the services of a quick house sale company:

  1. Offer Prices
  2. As the seller make sure you get detailed information writing of what the offer price is going to be and how this can be affected by any factors (for example adverse survey). You also want to understand at what point you will find out about any changes to the offer price.No one wants a surprise in this situation and certainly not at the last moment when you are in a weakened position to negotiate. If you have any concerns about the initial market value and subsequent offer, speak to a local estate agent to feel more comfortable or use an online valuation tool which you’ll find on the sites like Zoopla and Rightmove.
  3. Timescales
  4. There is no doubt that using a quick house sale company will be one of the fastest ways to sell your house, but be cautious about the promises and service levels some websites offer.It normally takes 2-3 months to sell a house and this can be dramatically reduced by using a quick house buying service, but it can be very dependent on individual circumstances.If a website offers the average timeframe for them to complete, this is a better and more realistic guide than those who promise a 7 day turn-around – which whilst technically possible it is often not the case.
  5. Who Are You Actually Selling To?
  6. It may seem like a stupid question, but the website may be a broker or lead generation business to sell those leads on to cash buyers. If you want the smoothest sale, take out as many interested parties as possible and make sure you’re dealing with the company who is actually paying the cash for your house.The only way to be assured of a professional fast house sale is through an NAPB (National Association of Property Buyers) / The Property Ombudsman Service member.
  7. How Will It Be Paid For?
  8. Does the property buyer you are in discussions with need to raise finance or do they have the cash funds available now?Always ask to see proof of funds from a house buying company to establish they have the finance to purchase your property.

Jonathan Rolande

Jonathan Rolande (MNAEA MICBA MARLA) began in the property business in the late 1980’s and is a Director of House Buy Fast and helped to found The National Association of Property Buyers in 2013. He has worked closely with The Property Ombudsman to develop a Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies.