Company assessment — by a competitor
House Buyer Bureau is one of the few companies in this sector where the published filings, the customer feedback and the marketing all point in the same direction. This page explains what that means in practice.
Published August 29, 2026 ·
Last reviewed September 3, 2026
The short version
This is the strongest performer of the companies reviewed here, and the reason is consistency. Where a company publishes a discount figure, files accounts consistent with buying directly, and attracts reviews describing completions in around three weeks, those three things corroborate one another. The remote valuation model is the point to watch, because a desk valuation can still move once a survey is done. Ask what happens to the offer if the survey differs from the desk assessment. On the evidence available this company does what it says. Sellers who will not accept a figure in the region of 80 to 85 percent of market value should still consider the open market, because that discount is the price of speed and certainty and no reputable operator will avoid it. But for a seller who accepts that trade, this is a credible option with a genuine redress route behind it.
Who they actually are
| Legal entity | HBB Relocation Services Limited (House Buyer Bureau is a trading name) |
|---|---|
| Company number | 07857990 |
| Incorporated | 23 November 2011 |
| Registered office | 1 The Cornerstone, Market Place, Kegworth, Derbyshire DE74 2EE |
| Directors | Includes Christopher Hodgkinson (director since 23 November 2011, per Companies House officers register) |
| Latest accounts | To 23 December 2024; next accounts due 31 December 2025 |
What this means in plain terms. The brand name and the legal entity are different names — the entity on any paperwork should be checked against the Companies House record for HBB Relocation Services Limited on the day you deal with them.
Financial position
Reported turnover: Group turnover published; house-buying split not separable.
The question this section answers: can this company complete at the figure it offers?
Credentials
| House Buyer Bureau | My Homebuyers | |
|---|---|---|
| The Property Ombudsman | Listed on The Property Ombudsman business register under HBB Relocation Services Limited | Registered as My Homebuyers |
| NAPB | Member (register checked — re-check on day of writing) | Membership number 66 |
What they pay — and a percentage of what?
What they publish. Published price position: ~80%. Fees: No fees or hidden costs. Legal fees: Yes, if using their recommended solicitors.
The denominator question. A percentage of market value only means something if you know
whose valuation of market value. 85% of a company’s own desktop estimate can be less money
than 80% of an independent estate agent valuation.
Their described valuation approach: Remote valuation using property data sites (Rightmove, Property Data). Nothing in the material we reviewed (August 2026) states whose valuation of market value any percentage figure applies to — the figure is produced by their own process, which is exactly why the question matters.
Our 80% is based on what we genuinely believe your property could sell for on the open market in current conditions, using comparable sales, market data and evidence from local estate agents. How our figure is set.
Initial offer versus final offer. Reported in public reviews: 80-85% referenced in reviews. Complaint themes: Communication gaps once handed to solicitors/underwriting.
We agree our offer based on the information available at the time and aim to complete at that price. We don't use a higher initial offer to secure the property and then reduce it later without good reason.
What you’re asked to sign, and when
Their standard seller terms were not published in the material we reviewed (August 2026). A company that does not publish what it asks sellers to sign leaves you one option: request the documents in writing before your first phone call, and read them against the question below. If they publish or provide their terms, this section will be updated and the change logged. (Their published terms as archived 1 August 2026.)
The question to ask them before your first phone call, in writing:
“Will I be asked to sign anything before exchange of contracts — an
exclusivity period, option agreement, or anything with a withdrawal fee? If so, please send it now.”
We never ask you to sign anything before exchange of contracts. No exclusivity period, no option
agreement, no lock-in, no fees if you walk away. Until the day you exchange, you can talk to anyone,
accept any offer, and leave at any point — it costs you nothing.
Our terms, in full.
How long they take
Published timescale: As little as 7 days; reviews cite 3 weeks or less. Their described process: Enquiry or call, cash offer, choose completion date.
As little as 14 working days, or anytime thereafter to suit your circumstances.
Public review profile
Figures as recorded in our dataset (August 2026): Trustpilot 4.4/5; Google 4.5/5. Negative-review response rate 100%. (Figures recorded 1 August 2026.)
Side by side
| House Buyer Bureau | My Homebuyers | |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Direct buyer | Direct Cash House Buyer |
| Buys with own funds | Own funds | Yes |
| Published % of market value | ~80% | 80% |
| % of what — denominator stated? | Not stated | Expected sale price — based on comparable sales and current market data |
| Fees to seller | No fees or hidden costs | No Fess |
| Anything to sign before exchange? | Not stated | Nothing to sign |
| Typical timescale | As little as 7 days; reviews cite 3 weeks or less | Typically 14 working days, or anytime thereafter |
| Offer held to completion | Not published; reductions reported in reviews — see pay section | Yes — held to completion |
| Who makes the offer decision | Not stated | Company Director |
| Coverage | Not stated | National |
| NAPB | Member (register checked — re-check on day of writing) | Member |
| TPO | Listed on The Property Ombudsman business register under HBB Relocation Services Limited | Member |
| Company age | Since 2010 | 10 years |
Where they beat us
- accounts confirm direct cash purchases
- A longer corporate track record than ours — the entity behind the brand has been on the register since 2011
- Greater purchasing capacity — a larger operation can take on more purchases at once than we can
Who they’re right for — and who should look elsewhere
Right for you if: Honest realistic valuations (80-85%); no-pressure approach; genuine cash funds; 7-14 day completions with legal fees covered.
Look elsewhere if: One review suggests property presented to investors; some negatives from sellers expecting full market value.
One structural difference worth knowing about, whoever you sell to.
At larger operators like House Buyer Bureau, the offer comes out of a pricing and underwriting process, and the person you speak to is rarely the person who decides. We’re small — the director who makes the offer is the person who answers the phone, and the name at the bottom of this page is the name on your paperwork. Small also means we sometimes say no: we can only buy so many houses at once, and we’d rather decline than offer a figure we’d renegotiate later.
How to check any cash buyer yourself — including us
Four checks that take twenty minutes: confirm the legal entity on Companies House and match it to the name on
anything you’re asked to sign; check The Property Ombudsman and NAPB registers directly rather than trusting
logos; ask “a percentage of what figure, and who sets it?” before discussing the percentage itself;
and ask, in writing, what you’ll be asked to sign before exchange.
The full method.
Right of reply and corrections
House Buyer Bureau: if anything on this page is inaccurate, email
contact@myhomebuyers.co.uk. We’ll verify and correct
within five working days, and log the change below with the date. We’ll publish a response from you alongside
this assessment if you want one.
| Date | Change | Raised by |
|---|---|---|
| — | No corrections to date | — |
Questions people ask about House Buyer Bureau
Is House Buyer Bureau a genuine cash buyer?
House Buyer Bureau describes itself as direct buyer. On funding, their position is: own funds. The reliable test is not the label but the paperwork: ask which registered company would be the buyer on your contract, and ask for proof of funds.
How much does House Buyer Bureau pay — and of what valuation?
Their published position is ~80%. Whatever figure is quoted, ask the question their material does not answer: a percentage of what valuation, and who sets it? Our own answer to that question is on our what-we-pay page.
Does House Buyer Bureau ask you to sign anything before exchange?
Their standard seller terms are not published, so ask them directly and in writing before proceeding: will you be asked to sign anything before exchange — an exclusivity period, an option agreement, or anything with a withdrawal fee? We ask you to sign nothing before exchange, and our terms page says so in writing.
How long does House Buyer Bureau take?
As little as 7 days; reviews cite 3 weeks or less. Treat headline speed as the fastest case, not the typical one.
Does House Buyer Bureau charge fees?
No fees or hidden costs Legal fees: Yes, if using their recommended solicitors.
Is House Buyer Bureau a member of the NAPB?
Member (register checked — re-check on day of writing). Membership is checkable in minutes: search the NAPB member list directly rather than relying on logos, and do the same on The Property Ombudsman register.
What happened to House Buyer Bureau?
Recommended by independent advice service The Advisory.