1. Who are we?

The Property Step is a small, well organised, group of property investment professionals who provide:

• property solutions to homeowners who need to sell their homes fast .
• provide property solutions to those needing to get on the property ladder .
• we provide the opportunity to step on or off the property ladder quickly.

2. How does The Property Step make its money?

The Property Step only makes money if we provide you with a solution that you later follow through on. Therefore it’s in our interests to ensure that the solutions we provide are viable, workable and genuinely benefit you.

3. Do I have to pay a fee for your services?

No you will never pay us a fee, whether you proceed with our property solution or not. Our value is in the offers we make, if you accept an offer then we’ve done what we set out to do by finding you a solution to your circumstances.

4. How can you provide a cash offer in 24 hours?

We are able to gauge property prices in your area, this is obtained from many independent sources. Once we know the details of your property, condition, size etc we are able to offer a cash price fast.

5. Do you offer full market value?

No, the offers we make are on average 70% of the market value, for a cash no nonsense purchase.

In return your given a trade cash price for your property, fast secure completion, a no hassle sale and various options dependant on your needs such as ’sale & rentback’ for example.

Homeowners realise the benefit of a trade cash price, secure purchase, guaranteed cash lump sum today, versus the promise of a possible higher figure with a buyer via an estate agent with no guarantees.

6. Why are your offers below market value?

Put simply no investor will be interested in buying a property for cash at market value, as it defeats the object of investing. Regardless of what one buys, the price of an item always goes down when purchasing using cash.

This concept of discounting is normal in business and reflects the value of having a guaranteed cash lump sum today, against taking the risk of a possible higher price some time in the future with no guarantee.

7. Do you or an estate agent value my home?

As we have knowledge of the local area we are able to assess your property value quickly. Estate agent valuations are unreliable (+10% on average) and take into account negotiations from buyers. We will visit your property to ensure it is as stated during our conversations.

However there are many more factors that determine what offer is made to you e.g. location, size, condition, facilities, amenities, refurbishment costs etc.

8. Who pays for costs such as solicitors, valuation etc?

All costs are paid for by The Property Step, no costs are incurred by the seller unless agreed during negotiations. In some cases it may be mutually beneficial to split costs to obtain a win/win property solution.

8. What options are open to me when selling?

There are a multitude of options dependant on your circumstances and needs. For example we can offer an:

8.1 ‘Outright purchase ‘ with 100% of the funds paid on completion.

8.2 ‘Deferred payment purchase ‘ interest only or repayment method with 60% of the funds paid on completion and 40% paid within 3, 6, 9 or 12 months of completion. The 40% balance will accrue interest payable to you by agreement, with the balance paid on the due date.

8.3 ‘Sale and Rentback ‘ commonly known as SARB, this allows you to stay in your home and rent the property back from The Property Step as landlords.

8.4 ‘Option to purchase ‘ allows us to agree a fixed sale price, with a completion date also fixed in the future.

8.5 ‘Lease option purchase ‘ allows us to lease the property from you with an agreed sale price and completion date fixed in the future.

As you can see there are various ways to sell your property to The Property Step , but please don’t get confused by the array of solutions. The examples given are to demonstrate our flexible approach to property, as there is always a solution if both the seller and buyer are willing.

The type of option offered is focused on what you need to achieve. Once you’ve outlined which is the most suitable, we will focus our efforts to ensure we can provide a win/win property solution.

As we are a group of investors we are more flexible than a strict company structure with stringent rules and regulations. This means we can always find a middle ground allowing a win/win solution to proceed.

9. With so many options doesn’t it make it more difficult not easier?

No in fact the opposite is true, having negotiated on many transactions our experience makes each transaction simpler. As investors we have a vested interest to find the right property solution to meet your needs.

Once we’ve agreed a price, there is no difference between selling your property to us or selling to a buyer via an Estate Agent. The actual paperwork, process and procedure are exactly the same.

However, there are 4 main differences thereafter.

1. The speed in which we can complete (typically 3 weeks)
2. Our access to readily available funds (funds immediately available)
3. No upward chain i.e. we do not need to sell a property to fund purchasing yours
4. Secure purchase i.e. a reliable way to buy/sell property without the worry of finding a serious buyer or wondering will the chain be broken when selling via an estate agent

10. What security do I have that you will for fill your side of the agreement?

You have the same security as if you found a buyer via an estate agent, the whole process is exactly the same. Once we have agreed the price and terms, we then instruct our solicitors.

Your solicitor will review the contract to ensure it is legally binding and that all is above board, before asking you to exchange contracts.

As investors we rely heavily on our ability to deliver, so it is not in our interest to renege on any transaction.

11. Where do our funds come from to purchase properties?

We have access to readily available funds from a multitude of sources, which include:

• Our own resources as a collective group of investors
• Associates’ and investors either as a individual or as a collective
• Business partners, business associates and residential property developers
• Finance houses, the traditional business vehicle to raising finance for investment purposes
• Time restricted business owners with funds to invest, but no time to search 100s of properties

This collective group of finance sources means we have funds available at any time and can move quickly.

This also highlights the main difference between finding a buyer (with funds already in place via an estate agent) and our approach which uses tried and tested business techniques for financing our investments.

12. How does this benefit me when selling?

Our approach is faster and more reliable than finding a buyer (via an estate agent) whose buyers has to arrange a conventional mortgage, especially in todays’ mortgage market with the required  20% hefty deposit. See our comparison chart when selling:

	The Property Step	Traditional Estate Agents
Viewing	once	3 months or more of multiple viewings
Buyer	immediate	3 months or more finding a suitable buyer
Completion	normally 2 – 3 weeks	2 months or more for completion
Monies	received within 3 – 4 weeks	6 months or more to sell & cash in
	The Property Step costs	Traditional Estate Agent costs
HIPS	zero	Approx £500
Legals	zero	Approx 1% fee
Stamp Duty	zero	Approx 1%++
Estate Agent	zero	1% – 2% fees
Update/Reform	zero	1,000s in renovation/modernisation costs

As a homeowner the decision you make  is having a guaranteed cash lump sum today, versus the promise of a possible higher figure with a buyer (via an estate agent) with no guarantees of a successful and straight forward completion (due to a broken chain, unable to finance, etc).

In summary we provide a fast, reliable way to sell your property without the headaches and worry normally associated with buying and selling property.

13. Am I obligated to sell my property to The Property Step?

No absolutely not, at no point will you feel pressurised or pushed into making a decision. All offers made, are time restricted i.e. valid for 15 or 30 days dependant on the offer. At all times you will remain in full control of the situation and have ample time to make up your mind.

14. What type of customers sell their property to The Property Step?

There is no distinction between one customer or the other, however one common thread is the need to realise cash fast from their property. Customers are from all backgrounds and include various circumstances for example:

• Property owners needing to sell fast, due to tax reasons
• Property owners needing to sell fast, due to repossession
• Property owners needing to sell fast, unable to find tenants
• Property owners needing to sell fast, for business purposes
• Property owners needing to sell fast, to pay mounting debts
• Property owners needing to sell fast, due to problematic tenants
• Property owners needing to sell fast, due to relocation with work
• Property owners needing to sell fast, unable to keep up payments
• Property owners needing to sell fast, because their moving aboard
• Property owners needing to sell fast, due to family breakdown or divorce

Regardless of your circumstances we are able to find a solution providing a win/win outcome.

15. If I call your 0800 number what happens next?

Once you’ve contacted us we will discuss your circumstances over the phone. Normally we will visit your property to ensure the condition is as described. The first thing you will notice is were friendly, informal and approachable.

We believe that by focusing on your needs and finding an agreeable property solution, is more important than swanky high street offices, formal suits and company cars.

16. Where are your offices located?

Shared offices are located within Housefinders Estate Agents, at 13 Borough Street, Castle Donington, Derbyshire DE74 2LA close to East Midlands Airport. This area within the East Midlands is growing rapidly hence we have strategically located ourselves in the heart of the East Midlands.

17. What is the best way to get a ‘no obligation’ quote?

Simply pick up the phone and call us free on 0800 011 29 39 or complete the quick sale required form above and we will call you.

18. If I have a question that is not covered here. How do I find out the answer?

Simply pick up the phone and call us free on 0800 011 29 39 and ask away! If the question has been asked before, not only will we answer it there and then over the phone. We will also add the Q & A to our FAQs to help others in the future.

19. Where’s the catch it sounds too simple to be true?

There is no catch, we do exactly what it says on the tin and its all outlined above. We offer the following;

• A cash trade price for property
• A quick no nonsense decision
• Different options dependant on your circumstances
• A secure, reliable way to sell your property fast

For a no obligation quote, complete the online quick-sale-required form or call The Property Step on 0800 011 29 39 free of charge.