The honest range
| Cash buyer type | % of OMV | When |
|---|---|---|
| Property Sold Simple | 80-90% | A fair, data-backed offer, completion in as little as 7 days |
| Most competitive legitimate operators | 80-90% | Fair-to-good condition, normal demand |
| Volume-led national operators | 70-85% | Typical national-coverage offers |
| Speculator / property sourcer | 60-75% | Often not a true cash buyer |
| Distressed-sale specialist | 50-70% | Serious defects (subsidence, structural) |
| Below 50% of OMV | Suspect | Extreme issues, or an operator to avoid |
On a £200,000 property: 90% = £180,000, 85% = £170,000, 80% = £160,000, 75% = £150,000. The gap between 75% and 90% is £30,000, which is why comparing offers matters.
How offers are actually calculated
What the property would sell for via an agent over 16 to 22 weeks, from recent comparable sales in your postcode, adjusted for differences, with Rightmove/Zoopla estimates as a sanity check. A legitimate buyer shares this calculation.
Funds the speed premium, the buyer's stamp duty and both sides' legal fees, holding costs, and resale risk. A 12% discount on £200,000 is £176,000; after costs the working margin is roughly 5 to 8%, not a high-margin model.
Down for refurbishment needs, subsidence, short lease, cladding, knotweed, non-standard construction. Up for good condition, desirable area, vacant possession, a recent RICS valuation.
Different cost bases, exit strategies, cash positions and volume targets mean different buyers offer different percentages on the same property, often varying by 5 to 10% of OMV.
What a fair offer looks like for your situation
Example: a £200,000 Oldham semi in average condition should attract £160,000 to £174,000 from legitimate cash buyers.
How to push back on a low offer
Are the comparables recent, truly comparable, and condition-adjusted?
What specific costs and risk justify the percentage? Is a property issue affecting it?
A second offer often makes the first match, or proves it was not competitive.
An independent £400-£800 report the buyer must justify any shortfall against.
If your property is in good condition, this leverage often improves the offer by 3 to 5%.
When a lower percentage is still rational
The trade is speed and certainty for price. A lower percentage can be fair when you have real time pressure (repossession, court deadline, executor obligations), a genuinely hard-to-sell property, a chain to rescue, a high emotional cost to continuing (divorce, bereavement, illness), or risk of a further fall in local value. If you value speed and certainty more than the lost 10 to 15%, the offer is fair for your situation.
Common questions
Is 10% below market value a lowball offer?
No. 10% below open market value is on the higher end for a cash buyer in 2026 and a strong offer for a property in good condition. The typical range is 10 to 20% off OMV.
Can a cash buyer pay full asking price?
Almost never. A cash buyer needs the discount to fund their costs and margin. A full asking-price cash offer is usually a strategic move on a property they really want, or a sign the operator is a broker hoping to assign the deal to a third party.
What is a reasonable discount on a cash sale?
In the UK in 2026, 10 to 20% off open market value is reasonable for legitimate cash buyers. Too high a discount suggests the buyer is exploiting urgency; too low suggests the buyer may not actually be funded.
What devalues a house the most?
The biggest devaluers are subsidence (10 to 20%+), Japanese knotweed within 7m (10 to 15%), a short lease under 70 years (15 to 30%), severe damp (5 to 10%), structural movement, non-standard construction (often 20 to 30%+ to cash buyers), and unsafe cladding (effectively unsaleable without remediation). Cosmetic issues are far smaller, typically 0 to 3%.
Do cash buyers reduce their offer after the survey?
Legitimate ones do not, except where the survey identifies a specific material defect that was not disclosed. A genuine principal buyer holds the written offer they gave you. Our offers do not change unless a survey uncovers a real, evidenced defect.
Is it worth getting multiple cash offers?
Yes. The variance between legitimate cash buyers on the same property is typically 5 to 10% of OMV, which is £10,000 to £20,000 on a £200,000 property. Getting two or three written offers and comparing them on price and credibility is the most reliable way to ensure a fair deal.
Why we pay more than most
For sellers within 20 miles of Greater Manchester, we believe Property Sold Simple is the best cash buyer to deal with on price. Our typical offer range of 80 to 90% of open market value sits at the top of the market, above most volume-led national buyers (often 70 to 85%). We can pay more because we are a small, local, low-overhead operation that knows your postcode, values it properly, and buys with our own funds as a principal, not a broker. Every offer comes with a full written breakdown so you can see exactly how we reached the figure.
See what we would offer
Our offers typically land between 80 and 90% of open market value, with a full breakdown of how we reached the number. Get a free, no-obligation offer and compare it against the rest.
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