How much do cash buyers pay for houses?

Genuine cash house buyers typically pay 75 to 85 percent of market value, with around 80 percent being the average. The exact figure depends on the property's condition, location, demand in the area, and how quickly you need to complete. In return you get a guaranteed sale with no fees, no chain, and completion in as little as 7 days.

Cash buyers pay below market value because the discount funds the speed, certainty, and convenience they provide. They take on all the risk and cost of reselling or renovating the property, pay your legal fees, charge no commission, and guarantee completion regardless of chains or mortgage approvals. The discount is effectively the price of certainty and speed.

It can be, when speed and certainty matter more than achieving the full open-market price. Once you account for estate-agent fees of 1 to 3 percent, several months of mortgage payments, bills and council tax while the property sits on the market, and the risk of a sale falling through, the effective gap is often smaller than it first appears. For sellers facing repossession, divorce, or an inherited property they cannot maintain, a guaranteed sale is frequently worth the discount.

No. Offers vary between companies, and some quote a high figure to win your agreement then reduce it just before exchange, a tactic called gazundering. A genuine cash buyer makes a fair offer based on real market data and sticks to it. Always compare offers and never pay an upfront fee.

A cash buyer starts from the property's current market value using comparable sold prices, then deducts the cost of any repairs or modernisation, their margin for taking on the risk and holding costs, and an allowance for the discount that funds a fast, fee-free, guaranteed sale. The result usually lands in the 75 to 85 percent range.