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When you’re selling your property, it’s of vital importance to know who you’re working with.
This is our independent British Home Buyers review. Our private investigators analysed their company records, strengths and weaknesses.
In here, you’ll find everything you need to know about British Home Buyers and whether you should trust them to sell your property quickly.
Your next step
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a cash buyer you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a cash buyer for your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you. There’s no obligation to use this company or accept their offer, but it’s probably as good as you’ll get.
Our recommendation costs you nothing and could even get you a higher offer. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
Company
Established in
2012
Members of NAPB
No
Members of TPO
Yes
Registered with ICO
Yes
Approved by CTSI
Yes
Will “British Home Buyers” pay all of your legal fees?
Yes
Do they ask you to sign a contract?
No
Government verified transactions
No
Cash offer
- up to 85%
Average sale time
7 – 30 days
Fastest sale time
7 days
Availability
Not stated
Complaints procedure
Not listed
Customer service
4.8 / 5
Google rating
4.9 / 5 (334 reviews)
Trustpilot rating
4.6 / 5 (491 reviews)
Reviews.co.uk rating
4.9 / 5 (469 reviews)
Feefo rating
5* (73 reviews)
British Home Buyers is one of the UK’s leading cash home huyers with a large number of excellent reviews. They will buy any house, in any condition, in a time scale to suit the seller, with no contract, no fees and a fair offer based on Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors valuations.
The company says that they ‘take pride in providing our clients with the most transparent, reliable and friendly service out there,’ and their reviews appear to back this up.
- PSW Rating
4.8 / 5
1. British Home Buyers: Company Overview
- Incorporated: 4th Feb 2013 (as Property Mine Ltd)
- Headquarters location: St. Peters House Third Floor, St. Peters House, 45 Victoria Street, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, AL1 3HZ
- The current directors are: William Gale and Charles Simpson
- Company number 08387809
- All the information seems up to date and correct
(source: Companies House)
British Home Buyers is a quick cash property buying company based in St Albans, but which buys property right across the UK. Their website states that they share the Property Sale Watchdog’s vision of ‘overhauling the poor reputation of an industry that is a vital service to so many homeowners’ and that they ‘take pride in providing our clients with the most transparent, reliable and friendly service out there’.
They were established in 2012 and will buy any house whatever the condition, location or price bracket. They say that they have helped thousands of people to sell their home, and that 99% of customers would recommend them based on customer service and the price they pay for homes.
British Home Buyers are part of Property Mine Ltd, which also includes British Home Sellers, an estate agency company. This may provide property sellers with a greater range of options for selling their home, with both home buyers and home sellers under one roof.
British Home Buyers will buy your property from you at a price that satisfies both parties involved, and then sell it for a profit. This is how the cash house buying service works, and British Home Buyers are open and honest about this.
You’ll get a slightly below-market price, but in return, you’ll get a fast and effortless sale with no hold ups por red tape. British Home Buyers will give you an instant estimate online, a no-obligation quote in just 24 hours and can agree to purchase your property in as little as 7 days.
This type of sale is perfect for people in a rush, whether that’s selling a house fast to avoid repossession, selling an inherited home fast or selling to secure your dream home before someone beats you to it.
2. British Home Buyers: Strengths & Weaknesses
British Home Buyers provides free cash offers, based on independent RICS surveyor reports, so you can trust their valuation to be fair and balanced. They do not state their average cash offer on the website, but from their reviews it appears that they offer between 79% and 85% of the current market value for a property.
British Home Buyers do not ask you to sign a contract and there are no fees or commission to pay. They say that they will cover your legal fees, although the website does not give any specific details of this. It is unclear if this only applies when using their solicitors, or if you have the choice to use your own legal team and still have your fees paid.
If you decide that you would like to proceed with the offer that you are made, British Home Buyers allow you to choose the completion date that best suits you. This can be done in as little as seven days. British Home Buyers say that unlike some cash homebuying companies, their offers are never reduced.
Their independent reviews are consistently excellent, and it would appear that most customers are very satisfied with their service. However, some reviews do complain about problems with communications and offers that drop from what is initially suggested. That said, these negative reviews are very much in the minority.
It’s important to remember:
You won’t get the full market value of your property, especially when asking for a very fast purchase, such as just seven days, but you will sell quickly and easily.
A typical estate agent will take 6-9 months whereas a fast home-selling company can do it in one to four weeks, typically around two weeks. You’ll be sacrificing a significant percentage of the value of your home for a significant increase in speed-of-sale and a complete removal of all the headaches and heartaches of an open market sale.
Whether a fats cash sale is right for you will depend on your individual circumstances, and British Home Buyers will always explain your options to you without obligation.
Are they NAPB members?
No, British Home Buyers are not members of NAPB.
The National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) was specifically set up to protect homeowners looking to sell their houses for cash to a property buying company.
However, the main advantage of using a NAPB member is that they will be a member of the Property Ombudsman. British Home Buyers are members of TPO anyway, and as such have agreed to abide by the TPO ‘Code of Practice For Residential Buying Companies’.
Being an NAPB member is completely voluntary, and not being a member does not automatically reflect badly on a company, especially if they are TPO members in their own right.
Are they TPO members?
As discussed above, British Home Buyers is regulated by TPO and strictly follows the TPO ‘Code of Practice for Residential Buying Companies’.
The Property Ombudsman (TPO) defends the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints and disputes between buyers and sellers. TPO has been providing consumers and property agents with this alternative dispute resolution service since 1990 and it has a dedicated category for fast home sale companies, such as British Home Buyers.
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a cash buyer you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a cash buyer for your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you. There’s no obligation to use this company or accept their offer, but it’s probably as good as you’ll get.
Our recommendation costs you nothing and could even get you a higher offer. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
Are they Registered With The ICO?
A search of the ICO database shows that British Home Buyers have been registered since November 2014.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent regulatory body set up to uphold information rights, governing all forms of data collection and advertising intelligence.
Membership of the ICO from its early days shows that British Home Buyers take their data protect responsibilities seriously.
Are they GDPR Compliant?
The British Home Buyers website has extensive privacy and cookies policies, which cover the collection, use and storage of data as well as the use of cookies on the site. They also state clearly that ‘We will never disclose any personal information that is supplied to us by our customers to any other parties.’
If this policy is applied rigorously, it is safe to assume that British Home Buyers is GDPR compliant.
Users are urged to err on the side of caution when providing personal information, and always read any cookie agreements before clicking your consent.
Do They Have Cash On Hand To Buy The Property?
British Home Buyers do not discuss how they purchase properties, or whether they have cash reserves on hand to do so. Our team of investigators did not find any evidence of their investment vehicles within Companies House.
This means that we were unable to validate their financial methods and so we cannot state for certain whether or not British Home Buyers currently have cash on hand to purchase properties.
In general, we’ve discovered that very few fast home-buying companies actually have disposable cash on hand. Potential customers should ask for proof of funds to ensure that this is the case and that they are genuine cash buyers.
It is less risky to work with home buying companies that have government verified transactions.
Have They Traded For More Than 5 Years?
British Home Buyers have traded for 12 years at the time of writing. They were established in 2012 and incorporated early in 2013.
We use the ‘over/under 5 years trading time’ as a metric to gauge whether a company is an established entity with a lot of experience under their belt or just a newly founded business that may have ulterior motives.
Not all newly formed companies are scams but it’s still important to check how long they have traded.
What Is Their Average Cash Offer?
British Home Buyers do not state their average cash offer on their website, however, reading through their reviews, it appears that they offer between 79% and 85% of the property value. This is standard across the industry, and you should be wary of companies that offer much more than this, as it is unlikely to be a genuine offer and higher offers will almost always drop before completion.
One plus point in their favour is that to ensure the basis for their valuations is fair, British Home Buyers use independent Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors valuations. They also state clearly that ‘our offers are never reduced’ – although we have no proof of this.
The only way to be sure of the offer for your home is to request a price for yourself.
Below you can see some of the perceived benefits of using British Home Buyers instead of a generic high-street or online estate agent.
Getting 70-80%% of the market value for your property when working with a fast home selling company is fair.
We’ve discovered that with sub-par home buying companies you’ll often get between 60 – 65% and sometimes even less.
Inferring from this, British Home Buyers gives reasonable offers in the context of fast home selling companies.
Of course this doesn’t mean that every home achieves that kind of valuation as it depends on a myriad of factors. Sometimes there are justifiable reasons why you may receive a lower offer.
Fast house sales within 7days are a bigger risk for the buyer, as they do not have time to complete the full range of surveys and searches required for due diligence. To cover the increased risk, you will normally be offered less for your home if you want to sell this fast.
What Is Their Average Sale Time?
British Home Buyers website states that their average sale time is between up to 30 days, although they can process a sale in as little as seven days if required.
According to the latest Statista research, the average number of days taken to sell property in UK from September 2018 to November 2020 is 65 days.
This includes selling properties via estate agents, actions, fast-sale companies and everything else under the sun.
Again, this graph represents every single method of selling a property, combined together.
And because of the vast number of fast home sale companies in the UK, this number is considerably lower than what it would’ve been if it only were estate agents and actions.
Remember when it comes to speed of sale, nothing beats a quick home buying company:
- Estate agents take on average 6 – 9 months to sell your property.
- Auctions take on average 10 weeks to sell your property.
- But fast sale companies can take as little as 7 days.
Charitable Initiatives
We didn’t find any charitable initiatives supported by British Home Buyers, but that does not necessarily mean anything. Some companies prefer to donate privately or anonymously rather than stating it publicly.
What’s more, simply supporting a charity is by no means proof that the home buying company in question is necessarily ‘good’. In fact, dodgy home buying companies might purposefully support and/or pretend to support a charity just to win brownie points and credibility in the eyes of the customer.
Anything Else Suspicious?
We didn’t find anything else that raises suspicion during our thorough research of British Home Buyers.
Our investigators sifted through all of the data and legal records of British Home Buyers and everything was clean and generally very impressive.
However, we’ll redact this paragraph at the first glimpse of dodgy practices.
We never stop researching and our unbending commitment to excellence doesn’t waver.
This paragraph is only valid up until the ‘Last Updated’ date of this review, which can be found at the top of this page.
Anything Else You Should Know About?
As far as we are aware, British Home Buyers haven’t received any additional awards or prizes.
They haven’t won any competitions either.
There’s nothing more we could add.
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a cash buyer you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a cash buyer for your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you. There’s no obligation to use this company or accept their offer, but it’s probably as good as you’ll get.
Our recommendation costs you nothing and could even get you a higher offer. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
3. British Home Buyers: Customer Experience
To assess the overall user experience (UX) of britishhomebuyers.co.uk we first analysed their website for ease of use and intuitiveness.
The main British Home Buyers web site is clean and simple, and easy to navigate. It explains how cash home buyers work and why you should choose them. The main pages tell you everything you need to know, without wasting time on anything you don’t.
The website also offers a number of longer home selling guides, along with some reviews of online estate agents.
There is an easy to use, no obligation click through to get an estimated offer for your home, as well as a freephone number if you would prefer to talk to them in person.
We calculated their First Response Time (FTR) by messaging them at approximately 11 AM on a non-holiday weekday (on a Wednesday to be exact) and used a stopwatch to estimate how long it took them to respond.
First Response Time
British Home Buyers responded in 53 seconds.
Which is much faster than the industry average. And a fast FTR is something we consider highly important, especially in this sector.
A faster response time suggests that the home-selling company is better equipped to deal with customer queries.
Client Satisfaction Guarantee
We also asked if they offer some sort of ‘Client Satisfaction Guarantee’, and if yes, what would that guarantee consist of.
They currently don’t offer a formal Client Satisfaction Guarantee, but with well over 1,000 independent reviews singing their praises, they clearly put client satisfaction high on their list.
Client Complaints Procedure
Once again, while there is no formal complaints policy listed on the website, their reviews reflect that they clearly offer excellent customer service.
What’s more, since British Home Buyers is a member of The Property Ombudsman, you can escalate any problems for independent arbitration via the TOP code of practice.
Speaking To Past Customers
A legitimate quick home buying company that does what it promises shouldn’t have a problem letting you speak to their past customers. British Home Buyers have a large number of client testimonial videos available on YouTube, and while this is not the same as talking to previous customers in person, it does give an idea of their service levels.
We strongly encourage all our readers to ask to speak to a past client wherever possible.
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a cash buyer you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a cash buyer for your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you. There’s no obligation to use this company or accept their offer, but it’s probably as good as you’ll get.
Our recommendation costs you nothing and could even get you a higher offer. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
4. British Home Buyers: Online Presence
In this section, we’ll discuss what the public thinks of British Home Buyers and what online reviews the company has received.
Keep in mind that online reviews can be easily faked.
It works both ways.
The company in charge might hire fake review writers to write positive reviews.
Or on the other hand, their competitors might hire fake review writers to write negative reviews and tarnish the said company’s reputation.
Also, social media followers can be artificially inflated.
That’s why we deem this section as purely anecdotal.
Nonetheless, we use trained researchers with a sceptical eye to go through British Home Buyers’ social media presence and online reviews.
Customer reviews
British Home Buyers has excellent reviews from over 1,300 customers across all the major independent review platforms. This is no mean achievement, and it shows how happy their customers are across the board.
- Reviews.io: 4.9/5 (469 reviews)
- Feefo: 5* (73 reviews)
- Trustpilot: 4.6/5 (491 reviews)
- Google: 4.9/5 (334 reviews)
Domain Rating
- Domain Rating (DR) – 82 / 100
- Search Traffic – 11,000 unique visitors per month
Social media presence
British Home Buyers are active across all social media, although they do not have a large number of followers on any individual platform.
- Facebook: 262 followers
- Instagram: 99 followers
- X: 190 followers
- YouTube: 80 videos (reviews)
Media Mentions
- N / A
TV Channel Features
- N / A
We didn’t find anything suspicious with British Home Buyers’ social media or online presence, nor with their customer reviews.
We also didn’t find anything suspicious with their domain rating and backlink profile nor their unique monthly search traffic.
The Final Verdict
British Home Buyers appear to be one of the better fast home sale companies in the UK with over thirteen hundred positive reviews on independent review sites. They are certainly one of the best companies that we have come across in our reviews.
They are members of the TPO, Trading Standards and the ICO, as well as the Competition and Markets Authority and Referenceline. However, they are not members of the National Association of Property Buyers.
They share the Watchdog’s vision of overhauling the poor reputation of the cash home buying industry and pride themselves on their transparent, reliable and friendly service. This is in stark contrast to some other firms out there.
They appear give industry average cash offers, based on independent valuations, and they say can buy your property in as little as seven days.
They do not ask you to sign a contract, and they say that their offers are never reduced. They do not charge legal fees and they say that they can complete your sale at a time that suits your plans, not theirs.
As part of Property Mine LTD, they can provide access to British Home Sellers, their estate agency partner, giving customers a greater range of options to sell their home.
On balance, British Home Buyers would appear to be an excellent choice if you are looking to sell your home fast to a cash buyer.
We will be continuously updating this review as we do with all of our other content. If British Home Buyers decide to alter, amend or modify something, then we’ll make sure to adjust our critique and score accordingly.
Get The Best Cash Offer For Your Property
We’ve independently investigated all the UK’s top fast home buyers with our cast-iron 18 point checklist.
And by using the free Safe Connect™ programme we’ll introduce you to our most recommended & strictly vetted home buyer.
The Safe Connect™ programme was created to ensure you not only get the best possible, genuine cash offer, but also to protect you in this unregulated market.
If you click the orange button below, we’ll automatically Safe Connect you to the best property buyer in the UK – as vetted by our team of investigators. And most importantly, you’ll see exactly why we objectively classified them as the best property buyer in the UK.
Very few companies made the grade, offering a genuine cash offer, without contracts and without any fees. And very few met our high standards for service, putting the customer first.
The good news is that we did find some open, honest and genuine cash homebuyers out there who get our seal of approval by offering:
- A genuine cash price for your home
- Proof of funds to buy with
- Completion in just 14 days (or anytime to suit you)
- Membership of a recognised redress scheme
- No contract to sign
- No last-minute price reductions
Click the cash offer calculator button below to see what you could get for a quick cash sale from a Property Sale Watchdog approved cash homebuying company.
If you use the Safe Connect™ programme to connect with a cash home buyer, we’ll personally hold them accountable. We’ll ensure they go the extra mile and treat you like a VIP.
The Safe Connect™ programme is a free service. There are no additional fees or costs on your end.
Safe Connect™ ensures there will be no last-minute price drops and no nasty surprises. It’s quick, easy and it eliminates all headaches.
Our strictly vetted partner will know that you’re coming through Property Sale Watchdog and they won’t dare to mess you around.
Compare Companies
British Home Buyers is just one of the many fast home-buying companies in the UK.
In order to make sure you choose the right one, it’s best if you compare them all.
Look at their strengths & weaknesses, their pros & cons and make an informed decision.
It’s essential to know you’re in safe hands, that’s why we’re here to help.
Use our company comparison table to find a reliable and trustworthy service, and decide whether expediting the sale of your property is the right thing for you.
Content Updates
This review is being constantly screened by our investigator team and will be corrected in line with the emergence of new evidence.
If a company contacts us with a genuine and verifiable piece of information which supports their cause, then we’ll immediately redact the review and point to the new information.
On the other hand, if we discover that a company which we’ve previously praised for a certain industry trait, starts to dabble in dodgy practices, we’ll also redact the review immediately.
We’ll point to our new findings and we’ll adjust the table metrics and scores accordingly.
For this reason, make sure to take notice of the ‘last updated’ date at the top of this page.
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