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Sell a property
no one else will buy

Subsidence, knotweed, short leases, non-standard construction, spray foam, cladding, fire damage, problem tenants — we buy what most cash buyers quietly decline.

Subject to checks and contract. Cash offers are normally below open-market value.

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No obligation · We tell you on the call if we can't help

Why your property is hard to sell

Most residential property sales in the UK depend on a buyer getting a mortgage. Mortgage lenders rely on surveyors, and surveyors have strict criteria. A subsidence flag, a knotweed report, a short lease, or a non-standard construction type can end a sale before it starts — not because the property is worthless, but because a lender won't approve finance against it.

When a buyer's mortgage is declined, the chain collapses. You go back to market. You relist. You wait again — and the same thing often happens. Estate agents can't solve this problem because the problem isn't the agent, it's the buyer. Every buyer who needs a mortgage is the same buyer.

Cash buyers should be the solution. Most aren't. "Any condition" is marketing copy, not policy. Most cash buying companies run the same survey process as lenders and quietly decline subsidence, knotweed, non-standard construction, spray foam, and cladding issues after two weeks of process and paperwork.

We do not. We are direct cash buyers. We assess the property on its actual situation, price the risk into the offer transparently, and proceed where others walk away. That's the whole point.

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What we buy

This is not an exhaustive list. If your property has an issue not shown below, tell us anyway. We turn down very few once we've seen the file.

Structural issues

Subsidence, heave, settlement, bowed walls, cavity tie failure.

Most lenders decline these outright, and most cash buyers quietly do the same — after wasting two weeks of your time.

Japanese knotweed

Active growth, mid-treatment, or historic infestation with paperwork.

Mortgage lenders refuse most properties with knotweed on or near the boundary, which is why open-market sales stall or fall through entirely.

Short leases

Under 80 years — including under 60 and under 40 years.

We factor the cost of a lease extension into the offer transparently, so you know exactly what you're getting and why.

Non-standard construction

BISF, Cornish, Airey, PRC, Woolaway, large-panel, timber frame, concrete.

These types are refused by most mortgage lenders and quietly declined by most cash buyers too. We buy them regularly.

Spray foam insulation

Open or closed cell, loft or floor. Lender-declined, not a problem for us.

Spray foam has made thousands of UK properties effectively unsaleable on the open market since lenders began refusing them.

Cladding & EWS1 issues

Flats stuck in the cladding scandal. We assess each case.

EWS1 failures and unresolved cladding remediation have left thousands of flat owners unable to sell. We look at each one individually.

Fire & flood damage

Active or historic, regardless of insurance status.

Fire-damaged and flood-affected properties are refused by nearly every open-market buyer and most cash buyers. We do not.

Hoarder properties

Don't clear it. We assess structure and location, not contents.

You don't need to move anything before completion. We've seen considerably worse and we'll handle it.

Probate with title complications

Missing deeds, executor disputes, unregistered land.

Title complications slow or kill open-market sales. We work with experienced solicitors who handle these regularly.

Problem tenants in situ

Arrears, refusing access, Section 21 served but not enforced.

Most buyers want vacant possession. We buy with tenants in place, including those in arrears or in active dispute.

Coal mining & sinkhole areas

Coal Authority searches that end most chains before they start.

We assess the actual risk, not just the flag on the search. We work in mining legacy areas regularly.

Flying freeholds & covenants

Legal quirks that kill open-market sales. We look at the actual risk.

A flying freehold or awkward covenant often terminates a chain the moment a solicitor flags it. We look at substance, not just the label.

Flood risk zone 3

Insurance-restricted properties, including Flood Re cases.

Zone 3 flood risk properties are often uninsurable or prohibitively expensive to insure, making open-market sales very difficult.

Listed buildings — consent issues

Unauthorised works, missing consents, enforcement letters.

Listed building enforcement issues can make properties effectively unsaleable until regularised. We assess and price accordingly.

How we price difficult properties

Cash buying offers are normally below full open-market value. That's true of every cash buyer and we don't pretend otherwise. The difference with a problem property is that the gap between a cash offer and the open-market price may be larger than you'd expect — and you deserve to understand why.

When we offer on a difficult property, the figure reflects the real risk we take on. With subsidence, we're buying a property a lender won't touch and that may require future underpinning. With a short lease, we've accounted for the cost of a lease extension. With knotweed, we've priced in a professional treatment programme. These aren't arbitrary deductions. We'll explain the figure and the reasoning before you decide anything.

We don't reduce offers at the last minute. Once a formal written offer is made and accepted, we work to honour it — unless the legal process turns up something material that wasn't disclosed. All sales remain subject to checks and contract.

If the figure isn't right for you, that's fine. There's no obligation, and we won't pressure you. Some sellers use our offer as a floor — a number they know they can achieve before deciding whether to test the open market again. That's a reasonable use of the process.

No obligation
Offer explained clearly before you proceed
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Real examples

Anonymised case studies. Details illustrative — actual outcomes vary by property and circumstances.

Semi-detached — Yorkshire

The problem

Active subsidence confirmed by structural engineer. Three previous buyers walked away after survey. Mortgage lenders refusing the property.

Timeline

18 days from initial enquiry to completion.

Outcome

Sold. Structural report reviewed on day one. Written offer issued within 48 hours. Seller moved to rented accommodation on a date that suited them.

Victorian terrace — West Midlands

The problem

Japanese knotweed in rear garden, treatment plan in place but lender-declined for two years. Property had been on the market three times.

Timeline

11 days from enquiry to exchange.

Outcome

Sold. Knotweed management plan reviewed and priced into offer. Seller did not need to extend the treatment or instruct a specialist to remove it.

Purpose-built flat — South East

The problem

EWS1 B2 rating. Building caught in the cladding remediation queue. Leasehold with 67 years remaining. Three estate agents had declined to list it.

Timeline

24 days to completion.

Outcome

Sold. Lease length factored into offer transparently. Seller received a clear written breakdown before agreeing to proceed.

Cornish unit — Lancashire

The problem

PRC construction, no mortgage lender would touch it. Property had been offered at auction twice and passed in both times.

Timeline

14 days from enquiry to completion.

Outcome

Sold. Construction type reviewed immediately. No survey delays caused by lender requirements. Offer issued and accepted within a week of enquiry.

Common questions

Yes, usually. We buy houses with active and historic subsidence, with or without underpinning. Bring any structural reports if you have them — it speeds up the offer. If we can't proceed, we'll tell you on the first call.
Yes. Active growth, mid-treatment, or historic infestation. Most mortgage lenders decline these properties, which is why open-market sales stall. We don't need a lender.
Yes — including leases under 80 years, under 60 years, and under 40 years where marriage value applies. We factor the lease extension cost into the offer transparently, so you know exactly what you're getting and why.
Often, yes. The most common reasons buyers' mortgages get declined — knotweed, subsidence, non-standard construction, spray foam, cladding — are the exact properties we specialise in. We don't need a mortgage, so the issues that killed your sale don't kill ours.
Yes. BISF, Cornish, Wates, Airey, PRC, Woolaway, large-panel system, timber frame, concrete. These are refused by most mortgage lenders and quietly declined by most cash buyers too. We buy them regularly.
We assess these individually. If your flat is stuck because of EWS1 or unresolved cladding remediation and you can't sell through normal channels, get in touch and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Yes. Don't clear it. We assess the property on its structure and location, not its contents. You don't need to move a thing before completion.
Cash buying offers are normally below full open-market value, and for properties with genuine issues the offer reflects the real risk and cost we take on. We will always explain the figure clearly before you decide anything. Any sale remains subject to checks and contract.

Got a property no one else wants to buy?

Tell us what's wrong with it. We're rarely surprised.

Subject to checks and contract. Cash offers are normally below open-market value.

Or call free anytime

0800 118 2089
The English House Buyer

We help homeowners sell their property fast, for cash, with no estate agent fees and no stress. Trade-price offers explained clearly. No obligation at any stage.

Reviews relate to our founding group company, Invest in Scottish Properties Ltd.

Contact Us

  • 0800 118 2089
    Call free or leave a message anytime
  • hello@theenglishhousebuyer.co.uk
  • Registered Office
    167-169 Great Portland Street
    5th Floor, London
    W1W 5PF
  • Physical Office
    Office G5, The Hub
    70 Pacific Quay
    Glasgow, G51 1DZ

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