Free advice first · No pressure · No obligation
How to stop a house repossession
Your options explained, including the ones that do not involve us
If you are behind on your mortgage, you usually have more time and more choices than it feels like. This page sets out what those choices are. A fast sale is one of them, and we will say plainly when it is not the right one.
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Speak to free, independent advice before you decide anything
Before you talk to us, or to any company offering to buy your home, speak to a free debt adviser. They are independent, they do not want to buy your house, and they will often find options you did not know existed. StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice, MoneyHelper and Shelter are all free and none of them will charge you.
Then talk to your lender. It sounds like the last thing you want to do, but lenders are required to treat you fairly and to treat repossession as a last resort. Most will consider a temporary reduction in payments, a payment arrangement to clear the arrears over time, extending the mortgage term, or a switch to interest-only for a period. None of that happens if they cannot reach you.
Repossession is a court process, not something a lender can simply do. It takes months rather than days, and at almost every stage it can be stopped, paused or suspended. Understanding where you are in that process is the single most useful thing you can do right now.
If you decide to sell
Two ways we can buy, if a sale is the answer
A sale only makes sense if there is enough equity in the property to clear the mortgage and the arrears, and if you have decided that keeping the home is not realistic. If that is where you are, there are two routes and they suit different timescales.
We buy it directly
Complete in 7 to 28 days
We purchase with our own funds. Where a hearing date or an eviction date is close, this is usually the only route quick enough to complete in time and settle the debt.
Best suited for: those with a court date approaching who need certainty above all else.
- Can complete before a hearing in many cases
- We liaise with your lender and solicitors
- Legal fees covered
- Handled discreetly
- Full market value is not possible
Sell to our investor network
Usually 30 days or less
If you have more time, with an early arrears letter rather than a court date, this route keeps considerably more of your equity, which matters a great deal when equity is what you have left.
Best suited for: those in early arrears with breathing room, who want to protect equity.
- Receive close to market value
- Protects more of your remaining equity
- Buyer commits with a £1,000 deposit
- Legal fees covered
- May be too slow if eviction is imminent
Where we fit in
When selling protects what you have left
If your arrears came from a period that has now passed, an arrangement with your lender may still be open to you, and the free advice services above will help you make that case. This page is for the situation where that is no longer realistic.
When the arrears are not recoverable, a possession or eviction date is close, or fees and interest are eating into the equity every month, the risk is not only losing the house. It is losing the equity with it. A lender’s sale is run to recover the lender’s debt, not to get you the best price, and its costs are added to what you owe.
A sale to us is a controlled exit instead. A firm offer in under one hour, completion in as little as seven days if the date demands it, the mortgage repaid in full and whatever equity remains paid to you rather than absorbed by fees and interest. Once the lender has been repaid, there is nothing left for them to pursue.
Know where you stand
The repossession process, and where it can be stopped
What happens
Where it can be stopped
The honest bit
What we charge, and what we gain
Nothing in fees. No commission, no valuation charge, no admin fee, and we cover your legal costs. We will not ask you for money at any point, and any company that does while you are in arrears should be treated with real caution.
What we gain is the property, bought at up to 80% of market value on a direct purchase. That discount is how we make this work, and you should weigh it against what you would keep under the alternatives rather than against nothing.
We will tell you if we think you would do better elsewhere, including with a free debt adviser or a high street agent. We would rather lose the purchase than take on one we did not think was right. Read the full explanation.
Regulated and accredited
Where people usually are
Common situations, and what tends to help
Where you are in the process changes what is worth doing. These are the points at which people usually contact us.
Call us on 0330 004 0050 or email hello@bettermove.co.uk. Nothing on this page is legal or financial advice, and you should take independent advice before making a decision.
Early arrears, no court involvement
The best place to be. Talk to your lender and to a free debt adviser first. If you still decide to sell, you have time to use the route that keeps more of your equity.
Selling with time to spareA hearing date has been set
Get free advice immediately and return the defence form. A hearing is not the end, and courts frequently suspend possession where a realistic plan is put in front of them.
If a fast sale is the answerA possession order has been made
There is often still time. Suspended orders can be complied with, and warrants can be applied to be suspended. If a sale is the route, speed now matters a great deal.
How quickly we can completeNegative or minimal equity
If the debt exceeds the value, a sale may not clear it and we will tell you so rather than waste your time. A free debt adviser is the right first call, not us.
How we assess your positionA buy-to-let in arrears
Tenanted properties can be sold without vacant possession, so your tenants are not evicted in order for you to resolve the mortgage.
Selling with tenants in situGot questions?
Stopping repossession FAQs
These are the questions people ask us most. Where the honest answer is “not us”, that is what it says.
Can a repossession order be stopped?
Often, yes. A suspended possession order can be complied with, and even after an outright order you can apply to suspend the warrant, usually by showing you can clear the arrears over a reasonable period. Free advice services help people do this every day. Get advice quickly, because the options narrow as dates approach.
How can I stop a repossession?
In roughly this order: contact your lender and agree an arrangement, get free independent debt advice, check whether you qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest or benefits you are not claiming, defend the claim at the hearing with a realistic proposal, and, if keeping the property is not realistic, sell it before the lender does.
What is a house repossession?
It is the legal process by which a lender takes possession of a property when the mortgage is not being paid. It requires a court order in almost all cases, it takes months rather than days, and it can be stopped or paused at several points.
Is selling my house to Bettermove my only option to stop repossession?
No, and frequently it is not the best one. If you can afford the mortgage again, a payment arrangement is better. If you have equity and several months, the open market will usually pay more. We are the right answer when time is short or the arrears are not recoverable.
Can I sell my property even if I am already in the repossession process?
Yes. You can sell right up until the lender completes a sale, though it becomes harder as dates approach. Tell us immediately if a hearing or eviction date is set, because it determines whether a sale can realistically complete in time.
Will I get a fair price for my property in a cash sale?
We pay up to 80% of market value on a direct purchase and we tell you that plainly. Compare it against what you would be left with after a lender’s sale, where fees, interest and costs are added to your debt first.
How quickly can the sale process be completed?
As little as seven days where the paperwork allows, typically 28 or fewer. If a date is set, say so on the first call so we can tell you honestly whether we can complete in time rather than raising false hope.
What if my property is in poor condition?
It does not matter. We buy in any condition and you will not be asked to repair, clear or redecorate anything. We pay for the survey.
Will this affect my credit file?
Arrears and a possession order are recorded regardless of what you do next. Clearing the debt through a sale stops further arrears accruing, but it does not erase what is already recorded. A free debt adviser can explain your specific position properly.
Do you charge anything, or ask for money up front?
Never. We do not charge fees of any kind and we cover your legal costs. If any company asks you to pay them while you are in mortgage arrears, stop and take free independent advice first.
More ways we help
Whatever your situation, there is a route
Financial pressure arrives in different forms. These pages cover the situations we deal with most often.
Find out what a controlled sale would leave you
A free valuation and a firm offer in under one hour, so you know exactly where you would stand. No obligation, no pressure, and we will not chase you.
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