How can you tell whether a probate property buyer is reputable?
Check who will actually buy the house, how they will fund it, what the written offer depends on and whether the estate can use its own solicitor. A company name or a promise to buy quickly is not enough on its own. Executors should be able to compare the net proceeds, timetable and risks with an estate-agent or auction sale.
This checklist is for a direct buyer offering to purchase a property. An estate agent markets a home and introduces buyers; a direct buyer purchases it for its own account. Ask which role a business is taking before relying on its claims.
1. Identify the purchasing company
Ask for the full legal name, company number, registered address and the name that will appear on the sale contract. Check the details on the free Companies House company-information service. Look at the company status, officers, filings and any previous names. A register entry helps verify identity; it is not a guarantee that an offer will complete.
If the website trades under a brand, ask which company operates it. Probate Home Buyer is operated by Incor Property Ltd, company number 11774560; you can check that number independently. A buyer who will not identify the contracting company should not be treated as verified.
2. Find out whether they buy directly
Ask: “Will your company be named as the buyer on the contract, or will you introduce, assign or resell the deal to somebody else?” A buyer who depends on finding another purchaser has a different risk profile from a business buying for itself. Ask for any conditions or proposed changes to the buyer's name in writing and have the estate solicitor review them.
3. Ask how the purchase will be funded
“Cash buyer” can be used loosely. Ask whether the purchase depends on a mortgage, bridging finance, the sale of another property or third-party approval. Request proportionate evidence that funds are available and let the estate solicitor decide what evidence is appropriate to examine. Avoid publishing bank documents or sending sensitive estate information to an unverified person.
GOV.UK advises sellers to consider whether an offer is from a cash or mortgage buyer and whether there is a property chain. A chain-free offer reduces one source of delay, but it cannot guarantee completion.
4. Get the entire offer in writing
Ask for the proposed price, property address, purchasing entity, expiry date, expected exchange and completion dates, and every condition that could change the price. Clarify whether the figure may be revised after a viewing, survey, title review or probate grant. Record who pays legal, clearance and any other costs.
Compare the offer with the property's present condition and realistic alternatives. Our separate guide explains how a probate cash offer may be calculated; this checklist is about verifying the buyer and the terms, not estimating value.
5. Keep independent legal advice
Executors should be free to use their own solicitor or licensed conveyancer. Ask the adviser to review the buyer's identity, contract, conditions, title issues and the estate's authority to sell. If you want to verify a solicitor or firm, use the Solicitors Regulation Authority register or the relevant regulator for the professional you choose.
In England and Wales, accepting an offer is not usually legally binding until written contracts are exchanged. If a buyer presses the estate to sign other commitments sooner, ask your solicitor what those documents mean before agreeing.
6. Check the proposed timetable against probate
Ask whether the buyer understands the estate's current position: has the grant been issued, are there multiple executors, and are there title or leasehold documents still to obtain? A realistic buyer should be willing to discuss milestones with the solicitor instead of guaranteeing an impossible completion date.
If a previous sale collapsed, ask what would be different with this buyer. Our failed probate sale guide sets out the steps to take before remarketing.
7. Compare the estate's likely net result
Put the direct offer beside an estate-agent estimate and any auction advice. Include likely fees, repairs, clearance, insurance, council tax where payable, utilities, security and the work needed to keep an empty house safe. Keep the assumptions and evidence with the estate records. A direct offer may be lower but still worth considering where certainty, privacy or avoiding upfront work matters; it may also be the wrong route for a well-presented home with time to market.
Warning signs to pause over
- The business will not name the company that will sign the contract.
- It calls itself a cash buyer but cannot explain its funding or dependencies.
- It quotes a high price and reserves a broad right to reduce it later.
- Fees, deductions, exclusivity or cancellation terms are unclear.
- It discourages your own solicitor or a second valuation.
- It demands an immediate decision before the executors can compare options.
- It promises a completion date without asking about the grant, title or occupants.
None of these points alone proves wrongdoing, but each calls for a clear answer and independent advice.
Questions an executor can copy into an email
- What is the legal name and company number of the proposed buyer?
- Will that same company be named on the sale contract?
- Is the offer dependent on a mortgage, bridging finance, another sale or third-party approval?
- What evidence of funds can you provide to our solicitor?
- What inspection, survey or legal findings could change the price?
- Are there any fees, deductions, exclusivity terms or cancellation charges?
- Who pays for clearance, legal work and any agreed repairs?
- What are your realistic exchange and completion milestones, given the probate position?
How Probate Home Buyer answers these checks
We are a direct property buyer operated by Incor Property Ltd. We can consider empty, dated, inherited and probate-related properties in their present condition. We explain the principal assumptions behind a no-obligation written offer and can discuss a completion timetable with the estate's solicitor. We do not charge estate-agent commission. Our offer will normally be below full open-market value, and executors remain free to compare other routes and obtain independent advice.
Want an offer you can compare properly?
Send the property postcode and what you know about its condition and probate status. We will explain the main assumptions behind a direct offer, with no obligation to accept.
Request my property offerOfficial sources used
- GOV.UK: How to sell a home
- GOV.UK: Offers and negotiations
- GOV.UK: Get information about a company
- SRA: Check a solicitor or law firm
Sources checked 17 September 2026. This is general information for England and Wales, not legal, tax, financial or valuation advice. The estate solicitor should advise on the particular offer and transaction.