We Buy Houses in London, Ontario: Rentals, Estates and Fixer-Uppers
At Sell House Cash, we buy houses for cash across London,Ontario. No repairs, no commissions, no hassle. Fill out the form to get your free cash offer today.
London is big enough that “selling a house in London” can mean very different things. It might be a brick worker’s cottage in Old East Village, a student rental a few blocks from Western’s gates, a sixties or seventies house in Westmount, or a newer build out by Masonville. Each one comes with its own set of rules and headaches.
Sell House Cash buys houses across London for cash, in the condition they are in now. If a regular listing does not fit your situation, we can put a written offer in front of you and let you choose the closing date.
Parts of London we buy in
Old East Village and the east end
Old East Village grew up as a working neighbourhood, with thousands of jobs once tied to the Kellogg’s and McCormick factories before they closed. Most of its homes date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the area became a heritage conservation district in 2006. The old Kellogg’s plant is now The Factory, the Western Fair District anchors the east side, and Dundas Street is the commercial spine. We also buy throughout East London and along Hamilton Road.
In homes this age we routinely price in foundation and drainage work, wiring that has been updated piece by piece, older plumbing, and porches and roofs at the end of their life.
Old North, Old South and the heritage districts
London has seven designated heritage conservation districts: Bishop Hellmuth, Blackfriars/Petersville, Downtown, East Woodfield, West Woodfield, Old East and Wortley Village-Old South. Old North, around King’s University College near Richmond Street, is close to both Western and downtown. Wortley Village in Old South is one of the city’s best-known older neighbourhoods. Heritage designation can affect what an owner may change on the outside of a house, which matters if the house needs a new roof, windows or porch.
Around Western University
Student renters spread out from campus into Old North, the Oxford Street and Wharncliffe Road area, the streets west of campus toward Wonderland Road, and up to Masonville, which is more apartment-heavy. Many houses in these areas have been rentals for years and show it.
Around Fanshawe College
Fanshawe’s main London campus is in Huron Heights, just north of Argyle, on Fanshawe College Boulevard. Students also rent in nearby Carling, Crumlin, the airport area and East London. Rentals here range from detached houses with rooms let individually to converted units, and we look at all of them.
Westmount and other planned suburbs
Westmount in the southwest was planned by Sifton Properties starting in the late 1960s, with its shopping centre opening in 1971. It mixes houses, townhomes and apartments. Homes there and in similar suburbs from the same era usually need updating rather than major repair: windows, furnaces, kitchens and baths that are original or close to it.
What selling to Sell House Cash looks like
- Get in touch. Tell us where the house is, who is living in it and what you need from the sale.
- Let us see it. One walkthrough. Leave furniture, junk and repairs exactly where they are.
- Look over a written offer. We explain the number and what we have set aside for the work.
- Pick a closing date. If title is clear, it can happen in as little as a couple of weeks. If you need longer, say so.
London situations we handle often
Selling a licensed rental, or one that never got licensed
London requires a residential rental unit licence for most rented houses. It generally applies to buildings with four or fewer rental units, to converted dwellings with five or more units, and to properties where the owner does not live. New licences need a property standards inspection and a fire inspection, and each licence lasts a year.
There are exceptions. An owner who lives in the house and rents to no more than three tenants at a time generally does not need a licence, and neither does an owner renting out their own principal residence temporarily while planning to return, within the city’s time limits. Units in apartment buildings and townhouse complexes are also outside the program. If you are not sure which category your house falls into, the city’s licensing office can tell you.
The detail many landlords miss is that a licence does not transfer. The city says a new licence is required when the property changes ownership. For a regular buyer planning to keep renting, that is one more task and one more inspection. When we buy a rental, we take on that process ourselves, whether your licence is current, expired or was never issued.
Done with the student rental cycle
Owners of houses near Western and Fanshawe often reach a point where the yearly turnover, repairs and neighbour complaints are not worth it anymore. We can buy with students still on their leases, since the tenancy carries over to the buyer in Ontario, or close after they move out at the end of the term. Either way, you do not have to fix up the house between tenants first.
Tenants who are not leaving
Selling a house with a difficult tenant is one of the hardest listings there is. Showings are hard to arrange, and buyers who need vacant possession usually walk away. In a building with three or fewer units, a buyer who plans to move in can ask the seller to give notice once a purchase agreement is signed, but that route has rules, a compensation requirement and, if the tenant disputes it, a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board. We can buy with the tenant in place and handle the relationship ourselves after closing. Talk to a lawyer or paralegal before serving any notice.
An inherited house in Wortley Village, Old North or the east end
When a London home comes through an estate, the executor usually needs an estate certificate from the court before selling. Ontario’s estate administration tax is due when the certificate is issued. Estates worth $50,000 or less pay none, and above that the tax is $15 per $1,000 of value, with any mortgage on the house deducted. If the family lives outside London, we can coordinate the walkthrough and closing without anyone having to come back repeatedly. We buy with contents left inside.
Mortgage default and power of sale
If your lender has issued a notice of sale, you still own the house and can still sell it. Where the mortgage includes a power of sale clause, Ontario’s Mortgages Act requires the default to have lasted at least 15 days before notice, and the notice must give at least 35 days. Getting a sale done yourself in that window usually leaves you with more than a lender-run sale would. Speak with a real estate lawyer right away.
A house that needs more than you can put into it
Hoarding situations, long-term neglect, fire or water damage, or simply decades without updates can leave a house worth far less than it could be, with no realistic way to fix it first. We buy these houses as they stand and take on the clean-out and renovation ourselves.
Cash offer or open market?
If your London house is updated and in a strong area, the open market is likely to pay you more than we can, and we would rather you know that up front. A cash price has to leave room for repairs, carrying costs and risk.
A direct sale earns its keep when the house is tenanted, unlicensed, heavily worn, part of an estate, or needs to close on a specific date. You avoid commissions, staging and showings, and there is no back-and-forth over an inspection report. In Ontario, the buyer pays land transfer tax, and you pay only your own legal fees.
Ask an agent what the house would list for after repairs, subtract the costs and the time, and compare that to our written offer. Choose whichever leaves you better off.
Why owners talk to us
Most people who call us have already thought about listing and have a specific reason it does not fit. We listen to that reason first, because it shapes the closing date, whether tenants stay and what happens to the contents.
Sell House Cash keeps things small and direct. You will not be passed around or pressured. We give you a written offer, explain it, and expect you to have your own lawyer review it. If you also own property west or northeast of the city, we buy in Woodstock and Stratford too.
See what we would pay for your London house
A few details are all we need to get started. Request a no-obligation cash offer and we will reach out to book a visit.
Questions about selling in London
Does my London rental licence transfer to you when I sell?
No. The City of London requires a new licence when a property changes ownership. We take care of applying for our own after closing, so it is not something you need to arrange.
Will you buy a London rental house that was never licensed?
Yes. We buy rentals whether the licence is current, expired or was never issued, and we deal with the city afterward.
Do you buy student houses near Western and Fanshawe?
Yes. We buy around both campuses, including Old North, the Oxford and Wharncliffe area, Huron Heights and Argyle, with or without tenants in place.
Can I sell a London house in a heritage conservation district to you?
Yes. We buy in all seven of London’s heritage districts, including Old East, Wortley Village-Old South and the Woodfield districts.