Is your London property taking forever to sell?
After helping hundreds of homeowners since 2015, we’ve seen it all.
The average London home sits unsold for 200 days. That’s almost seven months of stress!
Property Buyers Today was started to change this frustrating system.
In this guide, we’ll reveal how to sell your London home in just 7 days. You’ll discover the three proven methods that actually work. Plus, we’ll share the costly mistakes most sellers make.
No estate agent fees. No endless viewings. Just straight facts from years in the trenches.
- Three Main Ways to Sell Your House in London
- A Simple Three-Step Way to Sell Your London Property
- Current London Housing Market
- Average Time to Sell Through Traditional Methods
- Why People Need to Sell Their House Quickly
- Why London Homeowners Choose Property Buyers Today
- How We Solve Specific London Challenges
- Case Studies & Testimonials
- London Areas We Cover
- Frequently Asked Questions
- About Property Buyers Today
Three Main Ways to Sell Your House in London
Estate Agents
The traditional route requires patience and investment:
- Average sale time: 6-9 months
- 1 in 3 transactions falls through
- Success depends on local market conditions & buyers can pull out
- You’ll face several costs:
- Commission fees (up to 3%)
- Conveyancing fees (up to £3,000)
- Potential home staging expenses
- Certificate renewal if needed (i.e. EPC certificate)
Property Buyers Today
When speed is your priority:
- Completion in as little as 7 days
- No chain complications
- Clear benefits:
- No estate agent fees
- Legal fees covered
- No viewings or negotiations
- Guaranteed completion date
- Trade-off: Expect up to 85% of market value (note- this can be similar to other options after fees and mortgage payments)
Good cash property buying firms (like Property Buyers Today) have funds available and make it hands off for you.
Property Auction
Going under the hammer offers fast, certain sales:
- Timeline: 3-4 months
- Exchange happens immediately when hammer falls
- Key considerations:
- Risk of selling for lower than you may think
- Allow 4-8 weeks until auction day
- Allow 28 days to complete purchase
- Entry fees apply (up to £1,000)
- Auction house commission (up to 6%)
- More specialised knowledge required
These 3 options can be broken down into these 6 ways. You can see the pros and cons of each approach in the table below…
| Sale Method | Timeframe | Price Range | Fees | Hands-on Level | Additional Notes |
| Cash House Buyers | 7-28 days | 75-85% | None + legal fees covered | Minimal | Quickest most certain sale route |
| Traditional Auctions | 3-4 months | 75-90% | 2-3% + entry fee + legal fees | Medium | Exchange on auction day, in a physical auction house |
| Modern Method of Auction | 3-5 months | 75-90% | 2-3% + entry fee + legal fees | Medium | Online bidding, more flexible completion |
| Online Estate Agents | 4-7 months | 85-100% | Fixed fee i.e. £500-£1000 + legal fees | Very High | Self-manage viewings & marketing |
| Traditional Estate Agents | 6-9 months | 90-100% | 1-3% + VAT + legal fees | High | Regular viewings, negotiations |
| Assisted Sale (with or without cash advance) | ~12 months | 100% + | Mortgage payments deducted + renovation costs | Low | Can have partial upfront payment, buyer handles all refurb costs |
A Simple Three-Step Way to Sell Your London Property
Selling property in London often involves far more moving parts than elsewhere in the country. Leasehold flats, overseas owners, probate cases, tenants and complex chains can all slow things down. Our process is designed to remove as many of those obstacles as possible, keeping everything straightforward from your first enquiry to completion.
1. Fill in a form
Fill in your details on any form on this page to get started.
2. Receive cash offer
Within 24 hours, you will receive a cash offer on your property.
3. Agree sale
Once the sale is agreed, we’ll take care of the rest, including all fees.
- 1. Tell us about your property
- 2. We assess your property and prepare your offer
- 3. Choose a completion date that works for you
Start by completing our online form or giving our team a call. We’ll ask a few simple questions about your property, its condition and your preferred timescale.
Rather than relying on automated estimates alone, we take the time to understand the details that make every London property different, whether it’s a period terrace in Camden or a leasehold apartment in Canary Wharf.
Our acquisitions team reviews recent local sales, market demand and any property-specific factors before preparing your cash offer.
Because we buy using our own funds, we’re able to make decisions quickly without waiting for mortgage approvals or third-party investors. In many cases, you’ll receive your no-obligation offer within 24 hours.
If you’re happy to proceed, we’ll instruct experienced solicitors and coordinate the legal work from start to finish.
Whether you need to complete in seven days or require extra time because you’re relocating overseas or waiting for another purchase, we’ll work around your preferred schedule wherever possible.
Current London Housing Market
The London housing market is tough for sellers right now:
- Slow Growth: London house prices have gone up just 0.2% in the last year (the UK average is 2.2%)
- Different Areas, Different Results: Some places like Richmond are doing okay (2% growth) while other areas aren’t growing at all
- Money Worries: Higher interest rates and rising prices make buyers careful with their money
- Long Waiting Times: London homes now take between 137-220 days to sell (about 5-8 months)
- Fewer Buyers: The number of homes sold in London has dropped 14% compared to last year
Average Time to Sell Through Traditional Methods
The traditional route to selling in London has become increasingly time-consuming:
- Overall Average: 220 days from listing to completion
- Additional Time Factors:
- Mortgage approval: 44 days average
- Conveyancing: 8-12 weeks
- Chain delays: Can add months to the process
Why People Need to Sell Their House Quickly
London families need to sell their homes fast for lots of different reasons:
- Moving for a new job (sometimes to a different country)
- About to lose their home because they can’t pay the mortgage
- Stuck in a house chain where someone else’s sale fell through
- Selling a house they inherited from a family member
- Parents getting divorced and needing to sell the family home
- Problems with renters who won’t leave or pay rent
- Older people selling to get money for retirement
- Moving to a smaller home because of health problems
- Selling a house that banks won’t give loans for
- Needing money quickly because of financial problems
- Selling homes damaged by fire or with invasive plants (i.e Japanese knotweed)
Why London Homeowners Choose Property Buyers Today
Experience with complex property sales
London transactions often involve leasehold agreements, probate matters, tenants, company ownership or overseas sellers. Our team regularly handles these situations, helping to keep sales progressing where traditional buyers often struggle.
Flexible completion dates
Not every seller needs the fastest possible completion. Some want certainty while arranging an onward purchase, relocating abroad or finalising probate. We adapt our timescales to suit your circumstances rather than forcing you into a fixed deadline.
Nationwide buying power
Although our head office is based in Lincoln, we’ve purchased properties across every part of the UK, including Greater London. That nationwide experience means we’re just as comfortable purchasing a flat in Westminster as we are a family home in Bromley.
Direct communication throughout
You’ll have a dedicated point of contact from beginning to end, so you’re never left wondering who’s handling your sale or waiting days for updates. We believe straightforward communication makes the entire experience far less stressful.
Established reputation
Since 2015, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners sell quickly while building a strong reputation for professionalism, transparency and reliability. Our memberships with the National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) and The Property Ombudsman (TPO) demonstrate our commitment to high industry standards.
We buy properties in every condition
Whether your property is beautifully presented, requires extensive renovation, has a short lease, contains sitting tenants or has been vacant for months, we’ll consider it. You won’t need to spend money preparing your property before speaking to us.
How We Solve Specific London Challenges
London’s property market has unique challenges that our service helps with:
- Expensive Homes: London homes cost a lot, so it’s scary if a sale fails – we promise to buy once our offer is accepted
- Transport Changes: Things like the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) or new train lines can change home values – we buy anyway
- Leasehold Issues: Short leases or high fees make some buyers nervous – we buy all types
- Slow-Selling Areas: Some London areas take forever to sell in – we’re just as fast everywhere
- Overseas Owners: If you live abroad, we can do everything online for you
- Nearby Construction: New buildings going up nearby won’t make us lower our offer
- Tenant Problems: If you have renters in your property, most buyers run away – we don’t mind
Case Studies & Testimonials
Background: John inherited his mother’s 2-bedroom flat in Islington. Living in Manchester made it hard to manage the property, especially since it needed lots of updating.
Challenges:
- Empty flat getting worse over time
- Growing council tax and utility bills
- Worries about security for an empty home
- Three brothers and sisters needing to share the money
- Estate agent couldn’t find a buyer after 6 months
Our Solution:
- From first call to completion in just 14 days
- Bought the flat as-is with its outdated interior
- Handled all the cleanout needs
- Managed switching utilities remotely
- Worked with all family members who inherited
John’s Experience:
“After months of stress trying to sell my mother’s flat through an estate agent, Property Buyers Today was a breath of fresh air. Their offer was fair considering the condition, and the speed of completion was exactly what we needed. Having the money shared between the beneficiaries so quickly gave us all closure.”
The Thompson family was in trouble when selling their house. They had already promised to buy their perfect new home in Kent, but the person who was going to buy their Greenwich house suddenly backed out.
Challenges:
- They needed to complete their new house purchase soon
- They might lose the £25,000 deposit they already paid
- Finding a new buyer could take 2-3 months according to their estate agent
- Borrowing money to cover the gap would cost too much (a bridging loan)
- The family was really stressed out
Our Solution:
- Making an offer to buy their house within 24 hours
- Setting up the sale to happen at the right time for their new house purchase
- Talking directly with their solicitor
- Making sure everything lined up with when they needed to buy their new house
- Being flexible about moving arrangements
The Thompson family said: “We were so upset when our buyer backed out. We thought we’d lose our dream home. Property Buyers Today saved us. We got less money than our original offer, but when we added up all the costs of waiting and possibly losing our new home, it was worth it. They were professional and saved our family from a housing disaster.”
Background: Emma owned a flat in Hackney with only 63 years left on the lease and owed money on service charges.
Challenges:
- Three estate agents refused to list her flat because the lease was too short
- Extending the lease would cost £25,000
- She owed £3,800 in service charges
- Banks didn’t want to give mortgages to people buying flats with short leases
- Flats with short leases were very hard to sell
Our Solution:
- Buying the flat even with the short lease
- Paying the service charge debt
- Finishing the sale in just 10 days
- Handling all the complicated legal issues
- Not requiring any viewings or marketing
Emma said: “I felt trapped in my flat because the short lease made it almost impossible to sell normally. Property Buyers Today gave me a fair offer considering the lease problems and handled all the complicated legal stuff at no extra cost to me. I was amazed by how quick and simple they made it.”
London Areas We Cover
Property Buyers Today operates across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London. Our extensive experience in the capital means we understand the specific characteristics of each area:
Central London
- Westminster, Camden, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, City of London
- Known for: Premium properties, international buyers, high service charges
- Our approach: Specialised valuation for premium properties, understanding of unique central London challenges
North London
- Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Hackney
- Known for: Diverse property types, rapid gentrification, transport developments
- Our approach: Borough-specific valuations, understanding of development impact
South London
- Croydon, Bromley, Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham, Wandsworth
- Known for: Varied market performance, regeneration areas, commuter hotspots
- Our approach: Micromarket understanding, transport link valuation factors
East London
- Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest
- Known for: Rapid price changes, development zones, investment areas
- Our approach: Growth area expertise, regeneration zone understanding
West London
- Ealing, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent, Harrow
- Known for: Transport link premium, diverse property ages, Heathrow influence
- Our approach: Transport corridor expertise, international seller experience
For every London area, we provide:
- Borough-specific market knowledge
- Local completion timelines
- Area-appropriate valuations
- Understanding of local planning influences
- Knowledge of borough-specific challenges
Frequently Asked Questions
About Property Buyers Today
Property Buyers Today is one of the UK’s most trusted companies that buys houses for cash.
They’re based in Lincoln but work all over the UK. They’ve helped hundreds of homeowners sell their properties quickly and without stress – and they’re especially good with London properties.
Why You Can Trust Us:
- National Association of Property Buyers (NAPB) member
- The Property Ombudsman (TPO) registered
- We’ve been buying properties for over 8 years
- We’ve bought more than 500 properties
- We have a 4.9+ star rating on Google reviews
- We’ve been featured in The Times newspaper and on popular property podcasts
The founder, Saif Derzi, is a well-known property expert who has personally bought and sold over a thousand properties, including many houses in London. He believes in being honest and ethical in business.
Property Buyers Today is proud of our honest approach. We offer fair prices, stick to our valuations, and communicate clearly throughout the whole process.
When you choose to sell to Property Buyers Today, you’re not dealing with a big, faceless corporation. You’re working with real property professionals who understand the London market and want to make your sale as smooth and successful as possible.