Key Facts
| Company name | Fast home sale |
|---|---|
| Also trading as | Francis Property Group; Need A Fast Home Sale appears to be an older/alternate marketing identity linked to the same business. |
| Companies House no. | 8281372 |
| Operating model | Direct Buyer |
| Typical offer | Unstated. The site says it can beat competitors and make good offers, but does not publish a standard percentage discount range. |
| TPO member | Yes |
| NAPB member | Yes |
PSW Company Index
Three independent measures, built from verifiable data rather than the company's marketing: how its offer compares with the cash-buyer sector, how quickly it completes, and how openly it operates. Every input is shown so you can check the working.
Transparency signals
Good-practice signals
- Member of The Property Ombudsman (TPO)
- Member of the NAPB
- Complaints procedure published
- Typical offer level disclosed
- Data protection / privacy in place
- Independent redress / ombudsman route
- Legal fees policy stated
Contract red flags
- Conditional or hidden fees noted
- Late price-reduction pattern
- Tie-in / exclusivity required
- Early contract before completion
- Requires use of their solicitors
- Restricts marketing elsewhere
- Exit penalties mentioned
How these are calculated. Offer Fairness ranks the company's stated offer (as a % of market value) within the cash-buyer sector — all cash offers are below open-market value. Completion Speed is the fastest completion the company advertises, shown as a fact, not a score, because most firms advertise a similar best case; confirm any timescale in writing. Transparency adds points for TPO/NAPB membership, a published complaints procedure, a disclosed offer level, data-protection registration, an independent redress route and a stated legal-fees policy, and deducts for contract red flags; only publicly verifiable signals score. Full methodology.
Fees & Pricing
What Offer to Expect
Cash-buying companies pay below the open market in exchange for speed and certainty. The benchmarks below are worked on the current UK average house price of £270,080 (HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index, June 2026). Your own figure depends on your property's value and condition.
On the UK-average £270,080 home, a cash offer works out at roughly £203,000–£230,000. Open-market figure is before agent and legal fees. Source: HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index, June 2026.
| Route | Typical proceeds | On a £270,080 home | Typical speed | Sale falls through? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash-buying company | 75–85% of market value | £203,000–£230,000 | 7–28 days | Very low |
| Open-market sale (estate agent) | Close to full market value, minus agent & legal fees | ~£270,080 less fees | about 5–6 months (≈25 weeks) | roughly 25–35% (about 1 in 3) |
Offers can fall below 70% for properties needing significant work.
Benchmarks: HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index; Rightmove; Zoopla; Propertymark; TwentyCi. The cash-offer range reflects independent consumer guidance, not figures supplied by cash-buying companies. Illustrative only — verified June 2026.
Cash Sale vs Estate Agent vs Auction
How the three main ways to sell a home compare on the factors that matter most to sellers.
Approximate time from agreement (or listing, for the open market) to completion. Sources: Rightmove; Zoopla; Propertymark; TwentyCi.
| Factor | Cash-buying company | Estate agent (open market) | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical proceeds | 75–85% of market value | Close to full market value (minus fees) | Variable — reserve plus hammer price |
| Typical timeline | 7–28 days | about 5–6 months (≈25 weeks) | ~6–10 weeks (incl. 28-day completion) |
| Sale falls through? | Very low | roughly 25–35% (about 1 in 3) | around 15% |
| Fees to you | Usually none — buyer covers legal costs | Agent commission (~1–2%+VAT), legal, EPC | Auction/entry fees, legal pack |
| Effort required | Minimal | Viewings, staging, chain management | Legal pack, viewings, reserve setting |
Sources: Propertymark; TwentyCi (fall-through); Rightmove; Zoopla (timelines); HM Land Registry / ONS UK House Price Index (prices). Verified June 2026.
Reviews & Reputation
Regulatory & Compliance
Ownership & Leadership
| Current directors | Geoffrey James Porton |
|---|---|
| Prior related entities | Yes Companies House shows previous company names: Francis HMO Management Limited and Francis HMO Limited. NAPB also links the business to the “Need A Fast Home Sale” identity. |
| Registered address | Barratts House, Kingsthorpe Road, Northampton, England, NN2 6EZ |