If you’re looking to sell your home, one option is to work with a company that advertises “We Buy Any House.” These are national home buying agencies that can help you move your home from “For Sale” to “Sold” quite quickly, but there are at least half a dozen such home buying agencies in the UK, so how do you decide which one is the best choice? After all, over the past few years, there have been several reports of unscrupulous and dubious home buying agencies that have ripped off home sellers. These unethical companies play all types of tricks, some of which include adding extra fees at the end, offering very low sums for the home, and creating contracts that only favour them. Since not every company is the same or reputable, it is highly recommended that you take your time looking for a decent home buying company. Here are some tips that can help you find the best “We Buy Any House” company.
- Do Your Homework: No matter how desperate you are to sell your home for cash, you still need to do your homework. Take a look online and learn more about the ‘We Buy Any House’ company you are dealing with. Read the reviews, but always remember that some of them may have been written by individuals affiliated with the company or paid writers. Check out the reviews on multiple sites to get a better idea of the company’s reputation. Take a closer look at how long the company has been in business, whether it offers references or connections to past clients so you can learn more about them, and whether they have a physical, offline location you can visit. You’ll also want to explore whether they are located in the UK. It may help, too, to look more at the process of how your home is valued, what fees are charged, and how long the overall home buying process takes with them.
- Think About Accreditation: A safe home buying company will be accredited by organisations like the Property Ombudsman or the National Association of Property Buyers. These organisations ensure that the home buying companies have established fair play rules and are ethical in their dealings with the public. That can help give you peace of mind that you’re dealing with a great company.
- Schedule a Call: You should also pick up the phone and actually call the company to learn more about the process. When you speak to someone from the home buying agency, take note of whether the person makes you feel at ease or whether there’s quite a bit of pressure to sell immediately. You’ll also want to note whether the individual is good about answering your questions or whether they’re vague and evasive. Good companies have nothing to hide and will be transparent about their process.
- Examine the Offer: If you do decide to go ahead and get an offer from a company, take a hard look at that offer. If it’s unrealistic, you know you should consider another company. There are those “We Buy Any House” companies that mention that they will pay you 100% of the market value of your property. However, this is a seductive gimmick that is never true. Later on, they will tack on all sorts of fees and reduce the price to 80% of the home value. Therefore anyone home buyer who states you will be paid 100% of your home value is best avoided as they are not honest in their business dealings.
There are lots of reasons to consider a company that offers to buy homes fast and for cash. After all, if you have a home that you just need to sell as quickly as possible, it can be a great deal, as it saves you quite a bit of time and hassle. Do some research on any company like this before you ever contact them, though. It will help you better understand what’s coming and what to expect from start to finish with this kind of deal, and it will help protect you (and the home you’re selling) from any problematic contracts.
