How Long Does a Cash House Sale Take?

By now it’s probably no secret that it can take a long time to sell your house on the open market. According to HomeOwners Alliance, the average homeowner has to wait upwards of five months before they complete their house sale.

This includes an average of eight weeks to get an offer accepted after getting your house listed, as well as between 10 and 12 weeks to exchange the contracts after the accepted offer. 

If you ask us, that’s way too long. We’re seeing a similar picture from 2024 Zoopla data, which revealed that you’d need around 25 weeks to sell your home. However, the actual range was 17 to 34 weeks, so if you’re in the upper end of that you could be waiting between eight and nine months. 

Fortunately, if time is of the essence, there are ways you can sell your house or flat faster. A cash house sale with The Property Buying Company (TPBC) takes 2-3 weeks on average. Depending on your property and situation, it could be as fast as seven days. However, there’s a lot more to a fast cash property sale than a lot of people think. That’s why we want to break it down clearly for you here and look at how quickly a cash sale can go through and why.

Table of Contents

• What is a cash house sale?

• How quickly can a cash house sale go through?

• Why is a cash property sale faster?

• How much faster is a cash house sale compared to other methods?

• How quickly can a cash house sale go through?

• Situations when you may want to sell your house quickly

• How does a cash house buying company make a sale so quickly?

• Are there any risks when selling fast to a cash buyer?

• Important things to consider when selling to a cash buyer

• Should you sell your house quicker to a cash buyer?

What is a cash house sale? 

If you still have questions about cash house sales and selling your property to a cash buyer or buying company, this may not be the best page for you right now. We recommend learning more about cash house buyers, including how the cash buying process works. You may also benefit from reading up on how to sell your house fast or browsing our comprehensive list of the best quick house buying companies.

If you already know enough about cash house sales and just want to learn about how and why it can be faster than traditional routes, keep reading. 

How quickly can a cash house sale go through?

On average, a cash property sale with TPBC can go through in as little as 2-3 weeks. Our fastest purchase to date is actually 48 hours, but this is pretty rare and really depends on specific situations. If you’re pushing for a really fast sale, seven days is a more realistic timeframe. 

So far, we’ve maintained a solid average timeframe of 14 to 21 days since we were founded in 2012 while completing over 5,700 property transactions. So you can expect that your sale should go through in 1-3 weeks, unless there are unique or unexpected considerations. 

This is right on the money with what The Times reported in a recent article about cash house buyers. "The sales are quick – from a few days up to a month – which avoids the time and hassle of selling on the open market.”

With that said, it’s important to remember that cash house buying companies can typically purchase your property faster than individual cash buyers. Companies usually have access to faster processes than individuals and can move along the various steps for a sale faster. However, the difference is usually 1-3 weeks for a company versus 2-4 weeks (sometimes longer) for an individual. 

Why is a cash property sale faster?

Selling your property to a cash buyer is usually faster because they’re not hamstrung by the various reasons traditional property sales take so long. Legitimate cash house buyers should have cash on hand to fund the sale, so they don’t need to worry about getting a mortgage approved or rely on selling their current house in order to buy yours. Not only can these two elements delay sales, they can also cause them to fall through. 

The Negotiator highlighted both mortgage delays and long property chains as two big reasons property sales didn’t work out for buyers and sellers in 2024. The data from Market Financial Solutions revealed that 59% of people experienced gazumping due to having to wait for a loan to be approved or a buyer for their property. 

Another big problem, also reported by The Negotiator, are the conveyancing delays, which have apparently increased by 88% since 2007 according to data from Ochresoft. “The property transaction process remains incredibly complex and fragmented, timelines aren’t decreasing,” said Ochresoft Managing Director, Rob Gurney, in the article. 

A cash buying company like TPBC often benefits from faster conveyancing timeframes compared to traditional buyers. According to HomeOwners Alliance, “The conveyancing process can take as little as four weeks if there’s no chain.” They also highlight how not needing a mortgage application can also reduce the sale timeline by four weeks or more. 

GD Property Solicitors states something very similar to this, highlighting how cash buyers can reduce the average time of conveyancing, which is about 12 weeks, to around four. “If you’re a cash buyer purchasing a house with no chain, this can be even quicker. This is because there is no potential delay caused by a mortgage application. The money is available from day one of the process so this speeds things up dramatically.”

The UK Government has also recently acknowledged that its HM Land Registry processing times are not up to scratch. It brought in reforms back in March 2025 to try to speed this up, including modernising the process with more digitisation and collaboration between its various sectors. “We are streamlining the cumbersome home buying process so that it is fit for the twenty-first century, helping homebuyers save money, gain time and reduce stress while also cutting the number of house sales that fall through,” said Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook.

However, it remains to be seen if these changes will speed up property sales enough and bring down the amount of annual sale fall throughs for traditional routes. These reportedly impact 33% of transactions and cost people upwards of £400 million a year, not including the time and money lost by estate agents and conveyancers. 

Here’s a quick summary of why cash house sales tend to be faster:

How much faster is a cash house sale compared to other methods? 

Here’s a breakdown of how a cash buyer compares to other sale routes in terms of speed. Based on the average timeframes sourced below, a cash house sale is about 13 times faster than selling through an estate agent and 7 times faster than selling through an auction.

Our clients regularly praise the speed of sale when selling their property to us. This is a point of pride when it comes to our approach. Here are some recent situations where people have appreciated how much faster a cash sale with TPBC can be compared to traditional estate agents. 

How quickly can a cash house sale go through?

While our average timeframe for a sale is 2-3 weeks, we do routinely buy houses in as little as seven days. Our fastest purchase to date has been 48 hours, but this requires a lot of specific factors to go the right way. 

One of our former clients, Ruth, managed to sell her house to us in just six days. Ruth needed a quick sale so she could release some equity. After first trying the open market and an estate agent, with no success, she approached us for a quick, easy sale that also meant she saved money on council tax. 

“I had looked at two or three other companies, but I was very happy with the feedback and the service that I was receiving from The Property Buying Company, so I went ahead with them,” Ruth said in our interview with her, which you can watch in full below.

If you’re ready to sell and want to do so quickly, we can tailor our services to your needs. As in, we can speed up the buying process to save time and get the deal done sooner. However, this will usually mean we offer slightly less than normal for your house or flat. The reason being that the faster we do the sale, the more risk we take on. 

Let’s say you want to close the sale in under one week. As a cash buyer, we’re able to do that in the right circumstances. However, it may mean we’re unable to do all of our usual due diligence checks, such as a proper survey. This results in us assuming more risk if there are any unforeseen issues with the property. So it’s usually the case that the faster you want to sell, the less we’re going to be able to offer, to a point. 

This also works in reverse. If you don’t mind taking more time to sell your house, we may be able to get you a better price. With more time, we can use our extensive network of buyers to find the right investor for your property. We could also list your house on the open market at the same time. However, you’ll usually need to be willing to wait 28 days or longer. 

Situations when you may want to sell your house quickly

Not everyone needs to sell their property fast. But for some people, a quick sale can save them a lot of precious time and money. It can also get them out of a potentially difficult situation or help them avoid stress or emotional distress. Here are some common situations when selling your house quickly may be the best option. 

Situation 1: A difficult divorce

Going through a divorce brings on a lot of stress. Many people want to move on quickly, including dividing their assets. If your house takes months to sell, it could prolong the pain and stress. 

Situation 2: A death in the family

Losing a loved one is a heartbreaking time. Understandably, many people don’t want to endure this heartbreak for a long time. Being able to sell a loved one’s assets quickly, such as a house, can help people heal and move on.

Situation 3: An old or damaged property

Old, decrepit and uninhabitable properties are much harder to sell on the open market because of mortgage limitations. Selling quickly to a cash buyer can save people a lot of time.

Situation 4: Leasehold nearing expiry

When a leasehold property expires or is nearing expiry, it can be much harder to sell. This is also because of mortgage limitations and cost issues with a new owner extending it. It can be a lot easier to sell these properties to a professional cash buying company.

Tip: If you have a leasehold property and want to know how much it will cost to extend the contract, use the Leasehold Advisory Service’s official lease extension calculator.

Situation 5: Relocating

Do you have to relocate within the UK or abroad quickly? You may not want to deal with the admin of selling while you’re in your new city. In this situation, a quick sale can help you avoid juggling your old home while trying to settle in your new one.

Situation 6: Reducing capital gains tax (CGT)

One way to avoid capital gains tax on property is by selling multiple properties in different financial years. If you need to sell one quickly before the end of one financial year, a cash buyer can help you do it.

Situation 7: Financial difficulties

Financial debt can cause crippling anxiety and destroy your life. If you’re facing the threat of repossession due to financial difficulties, you could get out of this situation by selling your house quickly for cash.

Situation 8: Noisy neighbours

You’re legally required to disclose noisy neighbours to potential buyers. This can make selling your house difficult as bad neighbours can reduce your home’s value or put off buyers completely. Cash buyers, such as TPBC, don’t worry about noisy neighbours and will happily buy your house despite them.

Situation 9: Tenants in common

Sometimes you need to get out of a tenants in common situation quickly. This might be because you’ve fallen out with the other owners or maybe a new owner has taken someone else’s share and you’re not getting along. Whatever the reason, a cash house buying company can help you get out quickly.

How does a cash house buying company make a sale so quickly?

This is a normal question to have. It’s always good to learn how the cash buying process works before deciding whether or not it’s the right option for you. We can’t speak for everyone, but we can break down our process for you so you have a better idea of what to expect. You can also read about our quick cash buying process in more detail. 

The main thing to remember is that whichever cash buyer you choose, be it a company or an individual, the process should be simpler than selling on the open market. If it isn’t, you probably need to find a different cash buyer. 

Are there any risks when selling fast to a cash buyer?

There are always risks involved when you’re selling property, whether you’re doing it on the open market, at an auction or with a cash buyer. Some of the most common risks when selling to a cash buyer are:

• Getting last-minute price reductions or pull outs (i.e. gazundering)

• Getting scammed by a fraudulent buyer

• Having to pay hidden fees

• A cash buyer not having enough funds

• Bad in-house solicitors

• Cash buyers who are actually lead generators

Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself and mitigate these risks. You just need to be aware of how to determine who is a legitimate cash house buyer.  

Important things to consider when selling to a cash buyer

Unfortunately, not all cash buyers are legitimate. Even some of the companies posing as professional cash house buyers can be guilty of costly scams. They can prey on your need to sell fast, which can result in you losing money. 

According to Myers Solicitors, “Occasionally, a cash-only purchase is indicative of property fraud or money laundering. If you are selling to a cash buyer who does not have a solicitor, your solicitor may need to consider their source of funds. As well as complying with their legal duty, this helps protect you from complications which could arise if the buyer is not legitimate.”

This is good advice to follow, but there are more things you should be aware of when dealing with a cash buyer. Here’s a checklist to keep in mind. A legitimate and trustworthy cash buyer should have: 

• Proof of funds

• An independent solicitor (they should cover the cost for you)

• A final offer of around 15-25% below market value

• No tie-in clauses or small print locking you into a sale

• Obligation-free offers

• A thorough valuation process upholding RICS standards

• A solid track record of fast sales within 1-3 weeks

• A wider network of buyers to give you more sale opportunities

• Memberships with The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers

• Registration with Companies House or official ID documents

• Positive reviews and a good rating on Trustpilot

• Customer testimonials from real people

Should you sell your house quicker to a cash buyer?

Ultimately, you’re the only one who can answer this question. If you like how fast you can sell your house to a cash buyer, it might be worthwhile getting your free, no-obligation cash offer. There’s still no need to sell at this point and you’ll simply have a better idea of what you can expect to get for your house if you’re selling it quickly. 

If you’d still like to do more research into cash buyers, you can learn more about how to sell your house fast with us or review our list of the best quick house buying companies. We’re always happy to help or have a chat if you’d like to explore your options with us further.