We Buy Any House: How Much Below Market Value They Offer?

If you’re thinking about selling your home fast, you may be tempted to use one of the companies offering a quick, no hassle sale.

One of these is We Buy Any House, which offers a promise of quick sales. But at what cost?

Here, we examine We Buy Any House to see how much it offers below market value and the pros and cons of using such a company. We’ll also compare how it stacks up against their competitor, Property Rescue.

What does We Buy Any House offer?

We Buy Any House buys properties quickly, often within days. It’ll purchase homes in any condition, so you don’t need to worry about repairs or finding an estate agent. It’s a tempting offer for anyone who needs to sell their home fast without going through the traditional route, which typically takes around five months from listing to completion according to Rightmove.

How much do We Buy Any House offer below market value?

We BuyAnyHouse.co.uk claim that they could offer as much as 15% below the property’s market value.

However, this is likely the absolute best case scenario for the seller. On the other side of the scale, there’s no information on their official website about the maximum price reduction they might ask for.

Here’s what you need to know:

Typically, fast house sale companies in the UK offer somewhere between 70-85% of market value (which means discounts of 15%-30% below what you might achieve on the open market).

The actual amount offered depends on the property’s condition, location, the speed you need to sell, and the findings from the property survey.

The price that they appear to offer seems fair, and inline with what we at Property Rescue would also offer. However there’s more to selling a property than just the price, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

Understanding the valuation process

One thing to be aware of: We Buy Any House controls the property valuation process, which could potentially skew the final offer in their favour.

If you’re considering a fast-sale company, it’s worth getting an independent RICS valuation first. This typically costs £300-600 but gives you a benchmark to compare any offer against. At Property Rescue, we use independent chartered RICS surveyors for all our valuations; this means you’re getting an impartial assessment rather than one conducted solely by the buyer.

It’s also important to understand that the initial offer you receive isn’t necessarily final. Once you accept an offer, a survey is conducted, and the findings from that survey can result in the offer being reduced. This is standard across the sector, but many sellers don’t realise it until they’re midway through the process.

Pros of selling to a We Buy Any House company

We Buy Any House certainly has its benefits, and can be a good option if you’re looking for a variety of factors, including speed, no legal fees and no repairs.

Speed

Most house-buying companies like We Buy Any House offer speed and convenience. They’ll generally work to a timeline that suits you and can purchase a property in as little as 1 week. If time is of the essence, a property-buying company could provide the ideal solutions.

At Property Rescue, we typically provide a preliminary cash offer within hours of your enquiry, exchange contracts in as little as 48 hours, and complete within 2-4 weeks (or to your preferred timeframe). Across over 500 property purchases we’ve completed in the last 3 years, our average completion time from offer acceptance is 28 days, with 98% of accepted offers completing successfully.

Certainty

Selling on the traditional market comes with a whole host of concerns and uncertainties. It’s not uncommon for sales to fall through at the last minute. Industry data shows roughly 26-30% of property sales in England and Wales fail to complete, potentially leaving months of work in tatters and sellers without any real plan.

That’s not the case with property-buying companies. The sale is certain once you accept their offer and an independent survey is completed. You don’t need to worry about the buyer backing out at the last minute, as they’ll buy your home regardless of its condition.

Fees

If you were to sell your home on the traditional market, you’re looking at paying estate agent fees of around 1.42% on average (including VAT), according to the HomeOwners Alliance. With a property-selling company like We Buy Any House, there are no fees. Even better, these companies tend to cover legal fees and the like. That means you won’t pay a thing upfront to sell your home.

When you factor in the costs of selling on the open market (agent fees, potential repairs, ongoing mortgage payments during a lengthy sale process), the net proceeds often end up around 90-95% of market value anyway. From our experience across hundreds of transactions, many sellers find that a quick cash sale at 75-80% of market value isn’t far off what they’d net after deducting all the costs and time value of money from a traditional sale.

Repairs

Remember that bit about We Buy Any House buying your property regardless of its condition? Well, it’s true and gives you a major advantage if your home needs some serious work. There’s no need to give it a lick of paint or worse, renovate and upgrade certain rooms. Yes, the offer will be reflective of the property’s condition, but not having to make any changes is a time saver if you need to sell quickly.

Cons of selling to We Buy Any House

While their pros look appealing, it’s not all sunshine and roses. As with anything, there are pros and cons (two sides to the story). When selling to We Buy Any House, consider the following first:

The valuation is in their hands

We Buy Any House controls the property valuation process which could potentially skew the final offer in their favour. It might be worth you having an independent valuation done so you can gauge and compare with what the house buying company says it’s worth.

Pressure to decide quickly

If you want to sell your home quickly, make sure you actually want to sell your home quickly. The process is quick, meaning there may not be a lot of time to think things over once the ball starts rolling.

This is particularly important because you’re potentially leaving tens of thousands of pounds on the table.

On a £200,000 property, accepting an offer at 75% of market value means you’re taking £150,000 instead of £200,000. That’s a £50,000 decision that deserves careful consideration.

No governance

We Buy Any House is a member of the Property Redress Scheme (PRS), which is a government-approved redress scheme that provides independent dispute resolution. However, they are not members of the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) or The Property Ombudsman, which are the memberships that Property Rescue holds.

While PRS membership does provide consumer protection, industry bodies like the NAPB set additional codes of practice specifically for property buying companies, including requirements around transparent pricing and fair dealing. Different memberships offer different levels of protection and oversight.

Company age

We Buy Any House is owned by LXB Equity Limited, which was incorporated on 20 May 2024 according to Companies House. The We Buy Any House brand itself claims to have been operating since 2008, but the current registered owner is very recent.

This matters because you’re entering into a significant financial transaction. Track record and stability count. When comparing companies, consider both the age of the operating brand and the age of the legal entity that owns it: a company with decades of continuous ownership provides more assurance than one with very recent incorporation.

When NOT to use a fast-sale company

Before we compare Property Rescue with We Buy Any House, let’s be clear about when a cash buyer isn’t the right choice.

In these circumstances, you’ll almost certainly achieve a better price on the open market. At Property Rescue, we actually turn away roughly 10% of enquiries where we believe sellers would be better served listing on the open market. Cash sales are most appropriate for repossession risk, probate situations, or properties in poor condition where speed and certainty outweigh achieving the absolute maximum price.

How Property Rescue compares

Like We Buy Any House, Property Rescue offers a fast-purchase service for homes in England and Wales. There are, however, some key differences between the two.

For starters, we offer a fair valuation of the home and use independent chartered RICS surveyors for more transparent valuations. We also have better ratings (4.8) on Trustpilot, compared to We Buy Any House (4.4) at time of writing this post (March 2025). This means that more people are satisfied with our service, compared to We Buy Any House.

When it comes to regulatory compliance, we also stand out. Property Rescue is a founding member of the National Association of Property Buyers and a member of The Property Ombudsman, which means we adhere to strict industry standards and codes of practice, while We Buy Any House doesn’t seem to have the same associations. Interpret that as you will.

Because of our Sale and Rent Back service, we’re also one of the only house buying companies in the UK that’s regulated by the FCA (FCA Register 522471). This provides an additional layer of consumer protection that most house-buying companies don’t offer.

Our timelines are faster and more transparent

Property Rescue’s timelines are also flexible. We can exchange contracts in as little as 48 hours, with completion typically within 2-4 weeks (which is faster than most, if not all, of our competitors). While that’s our fastest possible timeline, it’s you the seller who sets the pace. No matter how quickly you want a sale, selling a home is a big decision. We understand that.

In 90% of cases, our final offer after valuation is within 95% of our initial offer. That means when we give you a preliminary figure within hours of your enquiry, you can trust it’s not going to be slashed dramatically after the survey. This transparency is rare in the sector.

Why choose Property Rescue?

So you think a property-buying company is the right move, but you’re still on the fence. That begs the question, why choose Property Rescue? We like to be transparent, taking a clear and honest approach to pricing and offers with no hidden costs. You should have all the information needed to make the right decision.

We’re flexible. Our terms are probably more flexible than most others, and we’re happy to wait so sellers get the deal that best suits their needs. We can also assist with relocation, removals, and related support services beyond the property sale itself, taking some of the stress out of what’s often a difficult life transition.

Reputation counts, and Property Rescue has a long track record of customer satisfaction and positive reviews and video testimonials. Plus, we’ve been in the fast property buying market since 2005 making us one of the longest established firms in the country. We stand out as the more reliable choice compared to others. As well as excellent reviews, we belong to the necessary governing bodies. Without the right governance, it can be a bit like the Wild West in the sector.

Red flags when choosing ANY fast-sale company

Whether you’re considering We Buy Any House, Property Rescue, or another company, here are some essential checks:

Making the right choice

Selling your home is a big decision. When you’re looking at fast-sale companies, it’s important to think about what matters most to you. How quickly do you need to sell? What’s your financial situation? How happy do you want to be with the outcome?

If you need to sell in a matter of days, Property Rescue is the top choice because we can offer the fastest buying speeds, with exceptional flexibility to ensure you get the sale you want.

In addition, we rely on independent valuations to determine pricing, and we have a very long track record of happy customers. With over 500 property purchases completed in the last 3 years and a 98% completion rate for accepted offers, we have the experience and reliability you need when making such an important decision.