As the name suggests, British Homebuyers is a UK-based property buying company. In other words, they give cash offers to anyone looking to sell their house, offering a faster sale than the open market.
The firm handles the entire sales process on your behalf, meaning you don’t have to wait around for a genuine buyer or deal with issues like receiving very few viewings.
British Homebuyers promise to purchase houses in all conditions (although it’s unclear if they buy commercial property). It was launched in 2012.
While there are various property buyers in the UK, the company stands out for its helpful service and friendly staff. This is made possible by its small team of around 12 employees, which offers a more personal touch. But despite this, the company has agreed over 1,000 sales.
You may also have come across British Home Sellers. This is owned by the same parent company and has almost identical branding, but helps people sell their houses instead of purchasing from them.
British Homebuyers is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, but operates throughout England and Wales. The company’s parent company is called Property Mine Limited, whose directors are William Gale and Charles Simpson.
To contact them, you can visit their website or reach out by phone. Their phone line is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 4-6 pm.
British Homebuyers is part of various regulatory organisations, namely:
The firm is part of the following organisations:
This shows its commitment to providing a trustworthy service, as membership involves compliance with certain requirements, such as having a complaints process through which customers can seek help.
However, unlike some other property buyers, it’s not a member of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB).
This is one of the leading regulators of the home buying sector and aims to protect sellers.
British Homebuyers don’t state the typical percentage they offer homeowners on their website. However, a typical percentage for property buyers is between 75% and 85%. The amount offered can vary between customers, property type, tenure and condition.
British Homebuyers take a fairly simple approach to helping you sell your house fast…
Most British Homebuyer clients reach out to the company via phone or using their online form.
You’ll initially need to provide the following:
There are two ways to get your free valuation:
1. Call British Homebuyers directly to talk to one of their property experts.
2. Follow the link to get an offer through their site.
Whichever option you choose, you will need to provide the company with some basic details, such as your postcode and the size of your property.
As with many property buying companies, British Homebuyers will use on data from the local market using data from HM Land Registry, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Rightmove / Zoopla / On the Market including prices and average selling times.
The team will also give you advice on the best solution.
Then, once they have the information needed, they will arrange a valuation for your property. This leads to the next step.
After a valuation, British Homebuyers will make a formal cash offer.
This is a no-obligation offer, so you can back out at any point. However, the company says that once you receive the offer, its value is fixed (but note their reviews reveal something else). This is unlike other cash buyers, who often lower their offer throughout the process.
If you’d like to proceed with the sale, you will agree on a completion date.
However, there are no contracts until completion – even if you back out of the sale later in the process, you won’t have to pay fees.
In some cases, a house sale can be completed within seven days. British Homebuyers say that they work to the buyer’s deadlines or desired timeframe.
When it’s time to receive the funds, you will receive the money straight into your bank account on the same day as the sale completion.
Even better, British Homebuyers pay all fees involved (as well as handling most of the work!). This includes valuations, surveys, and solicitor fees. Naturally, you won’t have to pay estate agency costs, which is another major expense of a typical home sale.
British Homebuyers has an impressive average rating of 4.8 on Trustpilot. It received this rating across 461 reviews, providing a reasonable sample size.
The company fares even better on Google, with a 4.9 rating across 315 reviews.
Many reviewers reported they had received excellent service from the team and said they sold their homes in just a few weeks.
However, it should be noted that some of the reviews refer to estate agency services for partner website British Homesellers. This means that the reviews are not a full reflection of the company’s property buying service.
Although there are many positive reviews for British Homebuyers, there is also some more negative feedback.
Some customers reported an awful service, saying that they struggled to get a hold of anyone in the team.
Others were unhappy with the price offered by British Homebuyers, or said that the initial offer they were given was later changed (despite the company explicitly claiming that it doesn’t alter its numbers after making an offer).
However, it should be noted that many of the reviews were complaining about receiving offers of around 80-85% of their property’s market price, which is fairly standard for the property buying industry.
Since Property Homebuyers provide a complete service and pay all the fees, they take a cut to cover this extra convenience.
On the fence about whether British Homebuyers is the right partner for you? Below, we’ve summarised the pros and cons of working with them.
When you sell through a traditional local estate agent, you may find that buyers pull out at the last minute or that you have your work cut out for you coordinating with local estate agents. In contrast, a home buyer gives you a guaranteed sale and means you’re not part of a chain.
As well as greater security and convenience, this means a quicker process. Few estate agents can sell your house in as little as 7 days, but British Homebuyers can (potentially).
A major perk of British Homebuyers in particular is that they cover all fees involved in the process, with no hidden costs.
British Homebuyers claim that they are true to their word, unlike some of their competitors. The company sticks to the initial offer provided and won’t back out at the last minute.
It also prides itself on providing a highly professional team, who you can reach out to for advice or support at any point in the sales process. They claim that 99% of customers would recommend the company based on the amount they receive for their house.
Then there’s confidentiality. When you sell with a local agent or using the open market, you have to market your home to be able to reach potential buyers, which means having info about your house publicly available online. Doing so also means providing viewings that anybody can show up for – including nosy neighbours!
In contrast, selling to a property buyer means you deal directly with a single buyer and can keep info about your house private. You won’t need to offer viewings at all.
The biggest disadvantage of working with a property buyer is that you won’t receive your property’s full market value.
Although British Homebuyers say they can buy your home in as little as 7 days, the process won’t be this quick for everyone. In some cases, the timeframe is likely to be closer to 30 days, and it could take even longer.
It’s also unclear whether British Homebuyers purchase properties using their own cash funds. Some companies market themselves as home buyers but actually act as intermediaries or borrow the money. As a result, they don’t have immediate funds available to buy houses, resulting in a worse experience for sellers.
Plus, although the company is part of a few regulatory authorities, it isn’t a member of the NAPB. This could increase the risks of working with British Homebuyers somewhat, although they are a member of other, similar, organisations.
There are also some negative reviews from some customers.
Below, we’ve summarised the pros and cons.
If you’re not sure whether British Homebuyers is the right choice for you, the good news is that it’s far from your only option.
There are many more home buyers offering a similar service. In fact, we’ve compiled many of the market leaders in our property buyer reviews section.
For instance, Property Solvers’ reviews are consistently five stars thanks to its commitment to quick sales and excellent customer service. It’s also a member of the NAPB, which differentiates it from British Homebuyers.
As well as offering a quick sale service, Property Solvers can also sell houses through its own auction house and estate agency. This way, homeowners can explore various options from the same company and find out which option best suits their specific situation.
Speaking of these alternative home selling options, let’s explore them in further detail.
Putting a property up for auction can be another effective way to secure a quick sale. The auction house generally handles the whole process for a fee, meaning you don’t have to coordinate with estate agents or individual buyers.
This can also be a way to get a better price for your house because instead of selling to a single property buyer, you will be putting it in front of a larger pool of people. If you’re lucky, it could even result in a bidding war.
However, one disadvantage is that it’s generally a slower process than working with a property buyer, and there’s also no guaranteed sale. it’s possible that you could put your home up for auction and nobody wants to bid.
If you’re trying to sell a regular house and you’re not working to a strict frame, it may make more sense to sell on the open market instead.
Throughout this article, we’ve discussed the downsides of estate agencies – namely, the hassle involved in collecting the necessary information, holding viewings and risking an issue in the housing chain.
But there are also some huge advantages of local agents – they tend to have a strong knowledge of their local area and can help you to get the highest price possible for your property.
For those who are trying to sell a standard-sized family home in reasonable condition and who aren’t in a particular rush, this may be the best option.
However, there’s generally a more difficult selling climate for certain properties, such as those in need of refurbishment. As a result, property buyers and auction houses may be more appealing options.
Also, some people are in more of a rush to sell their home. This may be the case if you need to go to another city to work, for instance. In this case, it can be worth losing some of the house’s value to get a quick sale.
Overall, British Homebuyers is a reputable home buyer that has worked with countless satisfied customers to buy properties.
Many have reported a helpful team and great service. However, they are one property buyer of many – make sure you weigh up your options first.