How Can I Sell My House Fast?

Moving can be stressful, and it’s even more difficult if you need to sell your house quickly. You want to get out of the home as soon as possible, but you don’t want to lose money in the process.

But if you need to sell your home quickly, there are many ways to make it happen. This article will outline the steps you can take to sell your home fast while keeping the market value high and attracting quality offers.

How To Sell A House Fast

The process of listing and selling your home can take a few months, even if you’re doing it in a seller’s market. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can implement for a faster home sale.

1. Hire The Right Agent

The first step you should take is to find a top real estate agent to work with. The right listing agent will guide you through the home buying process and help your property get more exposure. Plus, your agent can help you stage and show your home and weed out unqualified buyers.

If you’ve never worked with a REALTOR® before, there are a few ways you can find one. The best place to start may be to ask friends and family members for a referral.

Once you have a potential candidate, schedule some time to sit down with that agent and ask them some questions. Taking the time to interview your agent will ensure that you find someone you work well with.

2. Go For Sale By Owner

Another way to sell your home quickly is to go for sale by owner (FSBO). When you list your house FSBO, that means you work independently and without the services of a real estate agent.

When you go this route, you’ll save money on the listing agent commissions. And you’ll also have complete control over the sale process, which can be advantageous if you know exactly how you want to market and sell your home.

However, you need to make sure you get the listing price right from the beginning. If you ask too much for your home, it will sit on the market longer and you may receive fewer offers.

3. Request An All-Cash Buyer

An all-cash offer means the homebuyer purchases the property without a mortgage or any other type of financing. The average homebuyer can’t make an all-cash offer – this is typically done by home buying companies, investors, and developers.

And all-cash offers are more common than you might think – they account for over 25% of all home sales. They’re especially common in Montgomery, Alabama; Naples, Florida; and Macon, Georgia.

All-cash offers tend to move quicker since there is no mortgage application or underwriting to go through. And since there’s no mortgage, there's less paperwork to sign at your closing date.

4. Price Your House To Sell

Homeowners want to get the best price possible for their home. But if you’re hoping to sell quickly, you may want to price your home competitively. If you overprice your home, it will end up sitting on the market longer.

To figure out a pricing strategy, you’ll start by determining the fair market value of your home. If you price your home a bit below other homes in your area, you may receive more bids and even get a bidding war going.

5. Stage And Declutter

When potential buyers look at your home, they want to be able to envision themselves in that space. This is where home staging can be helpful. Staging your home ensures you make the best use of that space and removes any personal touches which could distract the home buyer.

In general, staging your home can lead to more showings, open houses and offers. If you’re interested in home staging, you can hire a company to do it for you or you can do it yourself pretty inexpensively.

If you choose not to stage your home, at the very least you should declutter and give your home a deep cleaning. Few things are more off-putting to potential buyers than a dirty home, so you should make sure to clean the following surfaces:

• Kitchen countertops
• Inside the cabinets
• All appliances
• Floor and any corners where dust collects
• Bathroom counters, showers and toilet
• Baseboards, walls, doors and windows

6. Remember Timing Is Everything

Even if your home looks spotless and is competitively priced, it may take longer to sell if you list it at the wrong time. Market data indicates that March is the best month to list your home. If you can’t list it in March, you should try to get your home on the market by Labor Day for the best results.

In addition to the month, the day when you list your home can make a difference in the offers you receive. For instance, listing your home on a Thursday can lead to more offers and more money.

However, there are other factors you should pay attention to when you’re looking at selling your home. For instance, if interest rates suddenly drop, you may receive more offers. And you should consider whether you’re operating in a buyer’s or seller’s market.

More Ways To Sell Your House Fast

If you’re getting ready to sell a house fast, here are some other tips on how to prepare: 

• Add lots of light: Potential buyers love bright and airy homes so open all of the blinds and curtains. If certain rooms don’t have a lot of natural light, add lamps to brighten them up. And make sure your windows are cleaned inside and out since this will allow more light to stream in.
• Enhance the curb appeal: Improving the curb appeal is an easy and low-cost way to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. For instance, attractive landscaping, painting the front door and updating the outdoor lighting are all great ways to boost your home’s curb appeal.
• Take care of quick repairs: When you’ve lived in the same home for a long time, it’s easy to let minor repairs fall to the wayside. But you should take care of these quick repairs before listing and showing your home. For instance, you can fix loose tiles, tighten loose door handles, paint, replace light bulbs, and fix leaky faucets. It’s also important to be honest with potential buyers about larger property issues.
• Create buzz with a “coming soon” period: A good way to create demand and excitement about your home sale is by having a “coming soon” period. A coming soon listing advertises your home before it’s officially on the market. That way, you begin to generate a buzz about the property so there’s greater demand once the home is live.
• Hire a professional photographer: Many potential home buyers will do the majority of their research online. So while it may be tempting to try to save money by taking photos yourself, it’s not a good idea. Poor photos can cause your home to stay on the market longer. Hire a professional photographer to capture high-quality images and see if that person offers a 3D virtual home tour. Taking this extra step can lead to more views on MLS listing sites, more home showings and more offers.
• Write a strong listing description: When you’re ready to list your home, don’t overlook the listing description. A strong listing description is especially critical if you’re doing a FSBO listing. The listing description should highlight best features about your home and include keywords that will stand out to potential buyers. You should also include unique features about your neighborhood, like a nearby pool, park or access to high-quality schools.
• Market your home sale: If you want to sell your home quickly, it’s important to get it in front of as many people as possible. Upload your listing to your local MLS so it’ll get pulled to all of the major real estate search websites like Rocket Homes^SM, Zillow and Redfin. And make sure you post about the home sale on social media so the word spreads to anyone who may be looking to buy a home.
• Schedule lots of open houses and showings: And finally, you want to schedule as many open houses and showings as possible. If you’re still living in the home, it can be hard to accommodate a last-minute showing, but saying “yes” to these opportunities could help you sell your home much faster.

The Bottom Line

Selling a home can be a hassle and it can take several months to complete the sale. But if you need to sell your home fast, there are strategies you can use to speed up the process. Using an experienced real estate agent, pricing your home competitively, and requesting an all-cash offer can help you sell your home quicker. 

If you’re selling so you can move into a new home, it’s important to start the home loan process right away. That way, you can get out of your current home and into your new place as soon as possible.