Ready Steady Sell: Comprehensive Review 2023
- That Lisa Hayes' cash partners can help people sell their properties in just 7 days.
- That the company will allow you to compare offers from a number of trusted, vetted cash buyers.
- That the company provides fair, impartial, and transparent advice.
Of course, these are all great things to say about your own business.
But how much of this is true? And is Ready Steady Sell really the best place to find "free, impartial advice" when selling your home?
In the following comprehensive review, we explore all there is to know about Ready Steady Sell, including who's behind the business, how the company makes a profit, and whether or not they're worth working with if you're thinking about selling a property in the UK.
So, without dallying any longer, let's dive in!
Ready Steady Sell is a UK-based company that specializes in helping UK citizens sell residential properties quickly and efficiently.
The business is co-founded and run by Lisa Hayes, a web designer turned estate professional, with more than 21 years experience in the UK property industry.
While competitors typically aim to purchase properties directly, Ready Steady Sell helps sellers find trusted buyers through a streamlined process, all while doing its best to offer fair, impartial advice along the way.
What you'll find in this article
In this article, we've put together the most comprehensive online review of Ready Steady Sell.
Below is a listing of all the information you'll find in our review, so you can easily navigate the page quickly and pick which section you want to read.
Ready Steady Sell - Main Details
Although there are dozens, if not hundreds, of cash buying companies on the market, Ready Steady Sell sets themselves apart.
Instead of buying properties directly, their goal is to help sellers find buyers in a competitive marketplace.
The company was co-founded by Lisa Hayes, a web designer turned estate professional, who saw the need to provide fair, transparent, and impartial advice to homeowners in the United Kingdom who are looking to sell.
The company operates primarily online, but according to their website, they are headquartered in Blaydon-on-Tyne, England.
As we've already mentioned, Ready Steady Sell isn't a cash buyer.
But they do claim to provide homeowners with fair, impartial advice and guidance.
The company has access to a broad network of cash buyers, which enables them to help sellers sell quickly, and to compare offers and find the best deals when selling.
Through Ready Steady Sell's website, you can find a wide array of information and guides about selling your home for cash.
The website also states that you can contact Lisa Hayes directly for assistance in finding the best cash offers for your property.
The three main facets are the business are:
- Helping homeowners find trusted, vetted cash buyers.
- Helping homeowners compare offers from multiple buyers.
- Helping homeowners stay safe online and avoiding potential scams.
According to the website, Ready Steady Sell has more than 28,000 happy customers, has made more than 2,800 cash deals, has access to 750+ cash buyers, and all of that is backed by more than 188 company reviews.
So now we know the main details about Ready Steady Sell, let's dive into everything else that sets them apart from the competition.
Ready Steady Sell Factsheet
*Data updated and correct as of 08/23/2023
Fact Check
- Number of employees?
- What is their aim to buy time-frame?
- How many sales have they agreed?
- Number TrustPilot reviews?
- Number of Review.io reviews?
- When were they incorporated?
- What are their Opening times?
- Which Locations do they buy in?
- Is a house inspection needed?
- What is their website?
Ready Steady Sell
- 1-20
- 7 days
- 2,800+
- 1
- 151
- 2002
- Freephone 24/7
- UK
- No, they help sell any home
- https://www.readysteadysell.co.uk/
What Services Does Ready Steady Sell Offer?
The company's primary goal is to help homeowners find the best deals when selling their properties for cash.
To accomplish this, the company offers the following services:
- Free Guides - On Ready Steady Sell's website, you can find an abundance of information about selling your home in the UK. These can help you learn about the industry and about cash buying companies, so that you'll be better prepared for the process when the time comes
- Fast Sales - Because of the business' access to a network of 750 cash buyers, Ready Steady Sell can help you find a cash buyer fast!
-
Emergency Sales - Sometimes, life throws us curve balls and the need to sell your home becomes imminent. Whether that because of an illness, death, or any other type of emergency, Ready Steady Sell can help you navigate the sale of your home through trying times.
- Inheritance - Although inheriting a property is often seen as a good thing. Other times, the heir wants to dispose of the property as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Ready Steady Sell can help make that happen.
- Moving On - Whether it's due to a divorce or bereavement, Ready Steady Sell can help you move on with your life quickly.
- Repossessions - Homeowners can avoid having their homes repossessed by finding a buyer through Ready Steady Sell. This can allow you to raise the cash needed to pay off any debts to banks and lenders, allow you to get your affairs in order.
- Assisted Sales - When you need cash now, an assisted sale may allow you to access a portion of the cash immediately, giving Ready Steady Sell more time to find a cash buyer through traditional means, such as an estate agent sale.
- No fees - Ready Steady Sell earns its profits by fees charged to its buyers. There are no fees charged to homeowners when selling.
Is Ready Steady Sell Legit?
Yes, at least at first glance, Ready Steady Sell appears to be a legitimate business operation.
However, we did notice some fine print on the website stating that Lisa Hayes is, in fact, a fictional character, which seems a bit misleading since a lot of the website is predicated upon "her" story.
That being said, just because the company used a fictional character doesn't necessarily mean they aren't a legitimate business.
It may just mean they're using fictional character to make their offering that much more persuasive.
Still, we do feel that building a website around a fictional character isn't a great or transparent business practice, and that it detracts from the authenticity of the business' offering.
How Ready Steady Sell Works
Although Ready Steady Sell doesn't buy properties directly from homeowners, their goal is to make the process as simple and as transparent as possible by providing information, impartial advice, and access to a panel of potential buyers.
In essence, the company functions as a trusted advisor, providing clients with information when selling.
And, thanks to their network of cash buyers, Ready Steady Sell can help sellers compare offers from multiple parties.
This way, sellers get the best possible prices for their homes, without any of the hassles associated with traditional sales channels and estate agents.
Directly from the company's website, you can expect the following steps when dealing with Ready Steady Sell.
- Research - Ready Steady Sell states that research should always be the first step when looking to sell your home to any type of cash house buyer. While many cash buyers are legitimate businesses, there are also many that parade around as legit businesses, when they're actually shady outfits. Therefore, RSS suggests digging in and checking on a business' credentials to ensure that they're registered with regulatory authorities, such as The Property Ombudsman and the National Association of Property Buyers.
- Property Valuation - The next step in the process is to request a quote for your property based on a few pieces of information, such as the age, location, and current condition of the home. Note that this is usually a broad estimate and may not necessarily be the price of the final offer you'll receive.
- Survey and Inspection - A detailed survey will likely be requested by the potential buyer, which will provide the buyer with the information needed to finalize their offer. This will allow potential buyers to better assess the condition of the dwelling, so they can make their best offer on the property.
- Offer and Negotiation - Once a detailed inspection has been completed, the potential buyer will make a formal cash offer on the property. Typically, cash offers will be somewhere between 10% to 20% below market value. However, since the goal is to accept a fair price, and because Ready Steady Sell has access to numerous buyers, they will help you compare different offers from multiple parties.
- Legal Procedure - If an offer is accepted, the next step is to finalize any legal documentation that may be needed from the seller and buyer. Typically, cash buyers will appoint a solicitor, but you may have the opportunity to choose your own legal representation to help your parse through any legal documentation that may be required to complete the sale.
- Sale Completion And Moving Day - After the legal documents and titles are transferred between parties, the cash will be deposited into the sellers account, which will finalize the sale process. The exact date and time of closing will be determined beforehand. But once the sale has been completed, the only thing left to do is to vacate the property and to move into your new dwelling wherever it may be.
The Pros And Cons Of Working With Ready Steady Sell
As with any type of company, there are both advantages and disadvantages to working with Ready Steady Sell.
Here are some potential pros and cons of working with the company:
The Pros
- Experience - Lisa Hayes, the co-owner and co-founder of Ready Steady Sell, claims to have about 21 years of experience as an operator, being in the estate industry since 2002.
- Best Deals - Because Ready Steady Sell does not buy properties, their goal is to help homeowners compare offers from a network of more than 750 potential buyers. This way, sellers can find the absolute best price when selling their homes.
- Quick sales - Whether you need to sell because of illness, divorce, bereavement, or any other reason, Ready Steady Sell can help you dispose of your home in as little as 7 days.
- Negotiations - Because they are not the buyer, Ready Steady Sell can help sellers compare offers, negotiating the best possible price for your home.
- Free, Impartial Advice - Once again, since they are not the buyer, it's in the best interest of the company to find the best deals for sellers. This is why, on their website, you can find a range of information on selling your property in the UK, including reviews and information about the best cash buyers to work with.
- Customer service - The company makes it easy for homeowners to contact a representative via their freephone advice line, available 24 hours a day and seven days a week, or by email.
The Cons
- Not a cash buyer - Ready Steady Sell is not a cash buyer. Therefore, you're essentially dealing with a third-party to help you find the best buyer for your property. While this is a great way to access free, impartial advice, it can also complicate the process along the way.
- Lack of transparency - Although the company claims to offer impartial, transparent advice to sellers, we've found a note on the website that mentions that the co-owner, Lisa Hayes, isn't even a real person. Additionally, despite mentioning "her team" on the homepage, we cannot find any additional information about other employees or team members working for Ready Steady Sell.
Ready Steady Sell Vs. Other UK House Buying Companies
Below, we’ve highlighted some of Ready Steady Sell's ratings, reviews, and customer testimonials compared to other UK house buyers, such as National Homebuyers, QuickMoveNow, Springbok Properties, or We Buy Now.
Quick Sale Firms
- Takes 6-9 months to find a buyer
- Some firms charge hidden fees
- Won't always buy any type of home
- Can take months if not true cash buyers
- Some firms do not offer complete confidentiality
- Not all quick sale firms offer a cash advance service
Ready Steady Sell
- Helps you sell in as little as 7 days
- No fees for sellers
- Helps sell any home
- Is not a cash buyer
- May share information with potential buyers
- N/A
Ready Steady Sell Customer Reviews And Testimonials
| TrustPilot Reviews | Google Reviews | Review.io |
|---|---|---|
| 1 review | N/A | 151 reviews |
| 3.7 score | N/A | 3.4 score |
*Reviews are updated and correct as of 08/23/2023
However, when looking for reviews on third-party sites, we're only about to find 151 reviews on Reviews.io, and a single review on TrustPilot.
Furthermore, we were unable to find ANY reviews on Google, which only amounts to a total of 152 company reviews, not 188.
Therefore, we feel that Ready Steady Sell may be overstating how many happy customers they truly have.
Regardless, our goal here is to take a look at what previous customers and clients of the company have had to say, so let's dive in.
How is the customer service at Ready Steady Sell?
According to David Sessford, he feels that Ready Steady Sell stands out above other "we buy any house" companies, giving them a 5-star review.
Excellent service. pointed me in the right direction. i tried many other 'we buy any house' companies and these guys helped me choose the best option.
However, we should note that this was the ONLY review on TrustPilot, which is one of the best review sites out there.
And when we turned to Reviews.io to examine what the company's customers have had to say, the very first review we saw had the complete opposite opinion of the business.
According to an Anonymous review, the business' brand manager was "unprofessional, unreliable, and unqualified for the job."
Totally appalling customer service from the branch manager. Unprofessional, unreliable, unqualified for the job. Doors not working properly, entrance gates never closed. The branch is in a total mess since the woman took over. Wondering whether they write their own reviews???
But that was one of the worst reviews on the site, and there are, indeed, many other positive reviews, which will look at below.
Does Ready Steady Sell really help homeowners find and negotiate the best price for their homes?
Great help great price would highly recommend!!
Gave me an accurate valuation.
And yet another 5-star review states that the company provided a "very reasonable valuation."
A very reasonable valuation for a quick sale (or remortgage) done by a very knowledgeable people's person! Exactly what we were after!
How fast is Ready Steady Sell in helping homeowners dispose of their properties for cash?
According to J'than's 4-star review, the company was both prompt and fair!
They provided a prompt pricing that helped our decision making. The valuation was as we expected a little below market value but not ridiculously so. Communications etc were very good.
Another Anonymous review also states that dealing with the company is fast and straightforward.
I found your site helpful fast and straightforward
Does Ready Steady Sell have any awards, or have they been featured on prominent websites?
We can't find any other websites or publication stating that Ready Steady Sell has won any awards.
However, on their website, they do show a two gold award icons won in 2018 and 2019.
But aside from being able to see the "award" on their homepage, there is no indication what these were awarded for, leaving us to question whether or not these are ever real awards.
Additionally, on their homepage, the company claims to have been featured on a number of prominent websites, including ValueWalk, American Express, Tech Times, MoneySavingExpert, and YahooFinance.
But similarly, we cannot find any mentions of Ready Steady Sell on any of these websites.
And it also seems a bit odd to us that a house buying company would be featured on websites like Yahoo Finance or American Express, especially since Ready Steady Sell is a UK-based company, and American Express is, well, American.
Therefore, we feel these claims may be false.
Ready Steady Sell - Our Final Verdict
At first glance, Ready Steady Sell appears to be a real, legitimate house buying company.
But the more we looked at the specifics of the company, the more we were left wondering whether or not it's a real company at all.
For starters, when you first land on the website, you're greeted by the warm, welcoming face of Lisa Hayes, the company's co-owner and co-founder. But then as you scroll down, it's easy to notice the fine print where it says Lisa Hayes is only a fictional character.
While it's not unusual for businesses to use fictional characters or stories to help sell their products, we feel this website went a bit too far in creating the story of Lisa Hayes, painting her background, and making it seem like she is real.
For homeowners looking to sell, this could be a major turn off, since Lisa Hayes appears to be a real, genuine person.
But then, when you notice she isn't real, it's a bit striking that there isn't any other information on the people who work for the business.
This is even more misleading since Ready Steady Sell claims to offer "transparent and honest advice" as one of their core values.
And lastly, most of the reviews we did find were a bit lackluster.
Although we did find plenty of 4 and 5-star reviews, most of them were old (4+ years) and from non-verified users, they were very short, and one of the first reviews we noticed even suggested the company writes their own reviews.
So to sum things up, it's very possible that Ready Steady Sell is a legitimate business and they're only using the fictional Lisa Hayes to help make their offering seem more personable and persuasive.
Ultimately, if you're considering working with Ready Steady Sell, make sure to use your own judgement and to do a bit of research first.
Ready Steady Sell Factsheet - (Free Download)
You can now access all the key information about Ready Steady Sell in the Factsheet infographic we have created below.
Simply click on the image or the link that appears after the factsheet, and it will automatically download it to your device!
