We decided to call one of these 'less than the market value' buyers since our new house is brand new and the building company are offering incentives and helping us with undervalue sales.
We contacted National Homebuyers who on the basis on a few questions answered by me online offered us just over 50% of the market value. The letter then went on to illustrate the costs (to us) of a surveyor/valuer, solicitor etc etc etc. Needless to say, their offer was shredded and disposed of.
However, we contacted another company who offered us 80%, valued and surveyed at their own cost and are covering the cost of the solicitors too. Currently it has cost us nothing.
So, if we go through to a successful sale I shall come back in 3 weeks singing their praises and with contact details for anyone who needs a fast sale at no expense.
I recommend considering new properties with companies whose sales year end is approaching. The company we're buying with can complete in 21 days approx and the company we're selling to can complete in just a few more days than that.
If you are desperate to get out, stuck in a non selling property or fancying a new house this seems to be working for us!
Incidentally, we've had around £24k knocked off our house through incentives and me pushing hard!

Should have given us a call, we offer up to 85% - Hope it goes well for you though.

We do the same, pay all your fees, in fact you don't pay a penny.

A lot of people don't like companies like ourselves but for some it works really well. We do a lot where people don't want people viewing their house for 3 months, to get an offer and wait a further 3 months to then find out the buyer can't get a mortgage. This is happening a lot with lenders getting tight on their credit terms at the moment. Once we agree a sale we can complete in 4 weeks, no fees, no hassle.

If the property does not fall in our criteria we network with similar companies who's criteria varies a little from ours, so as long as the vendor is willing to sell for a discount we find you a buyer who can complete fast.

Just be careful with some companies, they will try and get further discount days before you complete, these companies are scum and like the ones who have been in the press recently we are working to try and get these companies out of the sector. They are very unethical indeed.

Best of luck again and hope it works well for you.

So, if we go through to a successful sale I shall come back in 3 weeks singing their praises and with contact details for anyone who needs a fast sale at no expense.
Incidentally, we've had around £24k knocked off our house through incentives and me pushing hard!
Builders are trying to get rid at the moment as they smell the crash just round the corner. As for these vulture companies - sure they offer 80%, but at their valuation, not an estate agent valuation.Let us know how you get on!

Im sorry but why have 80% of what your property is worth when you can hold out and get 100%. These companies pray on the needy.

Im sorry but why have 80% of what your property is worth when you can hold out and get 100%. These companies pray on the needy.

We're getting 80% from the buying company and the remaining 20%from the building company of our new house, so we're getting 100% and a really, really fast sale as it stands.
Although it doesn't matter in our case as it stands, to hold out would mean losing our reservation on our new house. That would be a blow and the loss of the reservation fee too.

I'll tell you more about it once we have completion but I want to be certain that the info I give is completely fair and accurate and that I've gone through the full process before I recommend the company.

Frankief - we had 3 independent valuations to be very certain of the value before we did anything. We also did our own local market research which we e-mailed to all and sundry with evidence to make sure they knew that we had done our research. I would recommend anyone did the same, it didn't cost us anything in the end.

Can you tell us where this house is and what exactly you are paying? What are the financial arrangements again? You sell your house for a knockdown price and then negotiate with a builder (who drinks with your buyer). Be careful, of conflict of interest. By the way, all builders are offering discounts at the moment as they seek to offload properties before the crunch hits them!

We're getting 80% from the buying company and the remaining 20%from the building company of our new house, so we're getting 100% and a really, really fast sale as it stands.
I suppose you can look at it like that...
Or you say that you're getting 80% for your house and a reduction on the new one... which you'd still get if you sold yours for 100% of it's value. So either way you're loosing out on £20,000 for the sake of a quick move.

Although it doesn't matter in our case as it stands, to hold out would mean losing our reservation on our new house. That would be a blow and the loss of the reservation fee too.
Fair enough, you've got a good reason for doing it... Couldn't you have got a bridging mortgage instead though, that would cost far less than £20,000 in associated costs.

I'll tell you more about it once we have completion but I want to be certain that the info I give is completely fair and accurate and that I've gone through the full process before I recommend the company.

Frankief - we had 3 independent valuations to be very certain of the value before we did anything. We also did our own local market research which we e-mailed to all and sundry with evidence to make sure they knew that we had done our research. I would recommend anyone did the same, it didn't cost us anything in the end.

I'm certain in my maths that we aren't losing any money at all.
If we sold our house at the actual value price (as in the price it was valued at) we would be here for a bloody long time I reckon. Interest rates are up, prices are high but falling and there is a distinct lack of interest in the market we're selling to. We would lose the reservation on the new house and most likely lose out on buying a house in that new site altogether (because we'd have to wait so long to sell this one).
I'm aware that builders are doing offers and incentives everywhere, for the end of year, to tempt the market and so on but through various sources I know we are getting a fantastic deal (valuer on this house lives close to new house, friend who works in mortgages, sale/sold at prices of other properties in the area and so on).
So, if our house is worth £100k (for illustration purposes only) we are getting £100k for it. The buyer is however paying £80k. If the new house is worth £150k (illustration again) we're paying £140k for it. The two financial situations are not connected and could not be processed legally on our case if they were because it amounts to more than the desposit, that can only be 5% through gifting.
The offer we got on assistance with sale would apparently not have been available as discount off the house since we already had that too. (Plus a further 3.5k of freebies).
We haven't paid solicitors fees, they were paid for us. We're getting our sale solicitors free of charge and our purchase solicitors at a discount (saving us approx £1k).
Because of the way it's been arranged it means we are probably better off in this situation.

We looked at another house in Sheffield, an older one, 3 beds, 1 bathroom, minute kitchen, smallish lounge, great garden, drive, nice area but needed a lot of work doing, Normal price range for the area but too small for us and needed a lot fo work. There would be no solicitors help and we would have to hold out for a buyer (which could take over a year at a guess if the house prices go as I think) in order to meet the profit on this one which we need as deposit on the next one.
Are you with me so far cos I'm getting lost here!
For £1k more we are getting a 4 bed new house, 3 bathrooms, 1 extra loo, 1 playroom, 1 enormous kitchen with fab built in oven etc, average garden, drive, garage, large lounge and HUGE hall, in a better area with no work needed.
We don't live in the best area so this is a lucrative move for us with least expense and most gain.