The search for a home-buying company usually starts online, where you’ll find lots of businesses offering the service. It can be difficult to tell them apart. It can be even harder to work out which ones will live up to the promises they make. Sadly many don’t.
It’s important to choose the right one for you. To help you do that, we’ve put together a comparison of our service with one of our competitors, Sellhousefast.uk.
How long will it take to buy your home?
We can buy your home in just seven days if necessary. But most importantly we’ll always agree on a completion date that’s right for you, whether that’s in one week or two months. Sellhousefast.uk says on its website it can buy your home within four weeks, which may not be as fast as you need.
Which company is the most established?
We started operating in the UK in 2013 and are the largest home buying company in the country. Our team has collective experience of more than 300 years, dealing with property transactions of all shapes and sizes. SellHouseFast.uk is younger, having begun trading in 2015.
One good way to measure how established a company is and to ensure it is a genuine cash buyer, using its own funds, is to look at how many homes it has bought recently. We purchased more than 200 properties from Jan – Oct 2020 which is considerably more than the majority of house buying companies.
Part of what makes our service so effective is our knowledge of the nuances of the housing market in each region of the UK, and our ability to purchase a property no matter what the challenges.
Who has the most accreditations and awards?
Both companies are members of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and overseen by The Property Ombudsman. Whichever property buying service you choose to use, it’s important to make sure it is registered with both of these bodies. It means they will follow a code of conduct that ensures they are transparent and honest throughout the transaction.
On top of this we have won several awards including YouGov’s Top Brand Buzz (2019). We were also finalists in the Best Financial & Professional Services Brand Marketing category at The Drum Marketing Awards (2020).
Which has the best customer reviews?
The quality and number of independent customer reviews are reliable ways of assessing how good a company is to work with. At the time of writing we had a rating of 4.3 stars from 213 Google reviews, whereas SellHouseFast had a rating of 3.7 from three reviews.
On Trustpilot we have a rating of 4.7 from more than 500 reviews. With 91% of reviewers rating our service as excellent or great. By contrast SellHouseFast has a rating of 3 on Trustpilot.
What additional benefits do they provide?
Both companies offer their service for free, and cover any legal fees. Also, they don’t charge commission, unlike traditional estate agents. Being cash buyers, an additional benefit is that you won’t be part of a chain, so there is no risk of suffering a fall through.
Unlike most of our competitors We Buy Any Home can also provide a licence to occupy. This means you will be able to stay in your home rent-free for an agreed period of time after we’ve bought it. This will give you a little breathing space to organise your next move. We can also provide a cash advance to help you out of a difficult financial situation. SellHouseFast.uk does not mention providing either of these services on its website.
Do you buy homes in any condition?
Yes, we’re happy to purchase your home no matter what condition it is in, as is SellHouseFast. One thing that sets us apart is our willingness to purchase properties with cladding issues.
On apartment buildings where cladding doesn’t meet minimum fire safety standards, owners have been left with homes they can’t sell and the prospect of large replacement bills. For them, a homebuyer who will consider their property is a welcome option. But it is not a service that features on SellHouseFast’s website.
Feature comparison
| WeBuyAnyHome | Sell House Fast | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on sale | No | No |
| Solicitors fees | No | Yes |
| Sales in seven days | Yes | No |
| Part of chain | No | No |
| Cash advance | Yes | No |
| Licence to remain | Yes | No |
| Fixed completion date | Yes | No |
| Guaranteed sale | Yes | No |
Why work with us?
We know how tricky it is to tell the difference between home-buying companies. What we offer is a long track record of moving sales along quickly and taking care of our customers.
We understand the ins and outs of the process and all the emotional and practical challenges you’ll be facing, because we’ve helped people through it so many times. In other words, you’re in safe hands with us.
Our reputation is built on being trustworthy, reliable and free to use. We won’t exaggerate what we’ll pay for your home to get your business and we will stick with the price, completion date and conditions we agree with you.
If you’d like to chat about how we can help you, get in touch.
