Even in the current high-demand property market, the average house sale takes more than 6 months to complete.
If you’re looking for a faster house sale, there are some things you can do to improve your chances of a quick, smooth sale and avoid some of the most common hold-ups.
Prepare your house
It should go without saying, but it’s important that your property is looking its best before you put it on the market if you’re looking for a quick house sale.
- Finish any outstanding DIY jobs and ensure any tired paintwork is refreshed
- Declutter your home to show off the space available and help prospective buyers envisage themselves living there
- Ensure the front of your property is looking clean and tidy in order to maximise your property’s curb appeal.
Prepare the paperwork
If you’re looking for a fast house sale, it’s important that you can respond to any requests for information or paperwork quickly. Before you put your house on the market, collect up any paperwork relating to the property so that you have them to hand ready for your buyer
Select your estate agent and solicitor carefully
Your choice of estate agent and solicitor has the potential to have a big impact on the speed of your sale.
If you want to attract a quick offer, you need to ensure your estate agent is proactive and responsive to enquiries from potential buyers. Once you’ve accepted an offer on your property, your solicitor will take over managing the sale through to completion. A great solicitor will keep everything moving forward and proactively chase all the parties involved to ensure the sale completes as quickly as possible.
Ask about your buyer’s circumstances
One of the things a good estate agent will do is thoroughly research the circumstances of any potential buyer who makes an offer on your property. Your buyer’s circumstances can make a big difference to how quickly your sale goes through. Are they part of a property chain? If so, how many connected sales are involved? Are they motivated movers?
The highest offer won’t always come from the buyer in the best position, so it’s important to find out as much as you can about any potential buyers. Not only will this help you to prepare for any potential hold-ups, it will also help you to choose between buyers if you receive multiple offers.
Consider your options
If there are multiple property sales linked to your own, it’s likely to be very difficult to have any control over the sale timescale. If you want a faster house sale, or just don’t like the unpredictable nature of selling a property via an estate agent, you might want to consider different options. Property auctions and home-buying companies can both offer a faster sale than is possible on the open market and also make you chain-free ready to buy your next home.
Last Updated on June 30, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
