Best way to get cash buyer for property

[Cashprop]

Hi, I have a short 57 yr lease property for sale on the arterial Finchley Road in London. I need to sell it urgently pursuant to a divorce (within next month or 2). What is the best way to reach multiple cash buyer?

 

[fisicx]

Business or residential?

If residential don’t expect to get much with such a short lease. A cash buyer will probably be looking to sell on and for that to happen they need a lease extension which won’t be cheap.

 

[Cashprop]

Business or residential?

If residential don’t expect to get much with such a short lease. A cash buyer will probably be looking to sell on and for that to happen they need a lease extension which won’t be cheap.

Residential. But the property has a mortgage of £450,000 plus service charges of £20,000+. Is this enough of a discount for. Property that would fetch £800000+ after renovation and lease extension? Also, are there any specific Portals where I could advertise it?

 

[fisicx]

Get a valuation on the lease extension. It’s likely to be a lot of money (possibly £100k+). Even cash buyers will want a full lease.

Right move, zoopla, on the market. Any of the main portals will suffice to market the property. This will cost you a decent wodge so it might be worth getting an estate agent involved.

But get a lease extension first. Expect the process to take a few months.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Google shows some companies advertising that they buy short leases - probably worth a call? (Obviously don't agree to anything on the back of just a call)

 

[fisicx]

Google shows some companies advertising that they buy short leases - probably worth a call? (Obviously don't agree to anything on the back of just a call)

Yes there are but they will pay well under the market rate. Probably not even enough to pay off that £450k mortgage.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Yes there are but they will pay well under the market rate. Probably not even enough to pay off that £450k mortgage.

Possibly - there's an easy way to find out....

 

[jack52]

Residential. But the property has a mortgage of £450,000 plus service charges of £20,000+. Is this enough of a discount for. Property that would fetch £800000+ after renovation and lease extension? Also, are there any specific Portals where I could advertise it?

£20k in annual service charge for a property worth only £800k AFTER renovation / lease extension is absolutely crazy - is that correct???

 

[HFE Signs]

An auction would be the fastest way but obviously this comes with risk.

 

[tony84]

Google shows some companies advertising that they buy short leases - probably worth a call? (Obviously don't agree to anything on the back of just a call)

Those companies are generally cow boys and conmen.
Even with a contract (which a solicitor checked over) I have seen them knock the price down at the last minute.

 

[KoyBeck]

A 57-year lease will narrow the buyer pool significantly, especially with a short timeline. Most mortgage buyers will be out, so you’re realistically looking at cash buyers only; as most comments earlier said.

In that situation, the usual routes are:
– Specialist short-lease buyers / investors
– London-focused auction houses (even if you don’t go to auction, they often have buyer lists)
– Agents with an established cash-buyer database rather than general high-street exposure

Pricing becomes the key lever here. Urgency and short lease length usually means accepting a discount to achieve certainty and speed.

If time allows at all, it’s also worth at least understanding the lease extension position and likely premium, as that helps buyers price the risk more confidently — even if you don’t pursue it yourself.

Not ideal circumstances, but clarity and realism tend to get these deals done quicker than chasing full market value.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

It just so happens the business in the next office from mine buys a lot of property. They tend to buy blocks of commercial property or development land but I've heard them talk about residential as well.

But for just one flat for a quick sale needing renovation and a lease extension? You'd need to give them an enormous discount.