10 Ways To Sell Your House Faster

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10 ways to sell your house faster

10 Ways To Sell Your House Faster

How to get a quick property sale

There are many reasons why you would like a quick property sale – from an unexpected work relocation to financial issues. Our 10 top ways on how to sell your home faster are loosely grouped into two parts.

Tips 1-4 deal with your property marketing and selling strategies while tips 5-10 are about staging your property for prospective buyers.

These are simple, practical and easy steps you can take to sell your house faster.

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Image showing how to sell your house faster
If you follow some fundamental improvements you will sell your house faster. Photo © Philip Halling (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Choosing the right estate agent


Choosing the right estate agent can make a real difference to how quickly your home sells after it comes on the market. Weigh up the pros and cons of using a local estate agent compared to an online one. Fees charged by estate agents vary, but the cost should not be your sole criteria.

Instead, check reviews and ask friends and family members for personal recommendations. When meeting estate agents, ask questions about how quickly they sell property on average and how often the asking price is dropped.

Remember that you can use more than one estate agent (multi-agency representation) but the fees will be higher. Using more than one agent will usually help sell your house faster.

Use a property buying company

Although most people in the UK use estate agents to market and sell their home, alternatives can often result in a quicker house sale. Over the past decade, selling houses to a property buying company has become increasingly popular, and an assisted sale advance can also help with ongoing property expenses.

Before agreeing to a quick house sale, make sure that the firm is a member of the NAPB (National Association of Property Buyers) and follows its Code of Practice. Never sign a contract unless it has been checked by a legal expert and expect the property price to be discounted by up to 25%.

House sold by using a property buying company
if you need a very quick sale, you could consider using a property buying company. Photo © M J Roscoe (cc-by-sa/2.0)

An alternative to this is to sell a house quickly through a property auction. The auction house’s marketing procedure can take up to a month. Once the house is sold, the buyer must pay the outstanding balance of the asking price within 28 days, so this method can be significantly faster than estate agents.

Technology makes it easier than ever before to market and sell your own property without the help of a middleman. By use of social media and property portals, you could sell your own property much faster than estate agents who will have many houses on their books.

This method is only recommended for sellers who have the technological expertise and the time to devote to all aspects of marketing the property and carrying out viewings, however doing your own marketing could help you sell your house faster.

Be wary of property buyers in a chain


Research by the consumer watchdog Which? has shown that over a quarter (28%) of property purchases fall through in the UK because there is a hitch in the property chain.

You can ensure that you sell your house faster by avoiding prospective buyers who are part of a chain.

The ideal purchasers for a quick home sale are first-time buyers or people who have already sold their property.

Photo of a house sold in the middle of winter.
Selling your house at the right time of year will give a better impression and result in a faster sale. Photo © Philip Halling (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Sell your property at the right time

If possible, you should avoid putting your house on the market at certain times of the year. Both winter (and especially in the run-up to Christmas) and summer are two times of the year when the housing market is sluggish.

The best time to sell property is usually in the spring or autumn. Preparing your property for sale at these times will likely help you sell your house faster.

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Property Staging Tips For A Faster House Sale

De-clutter your home


When potential buyers come to view your home, you want to show it at its best. They will not be able to envisage themselves in the house if it is cluttered and messy. In addition, too many things crammed into a small space will make your house seem cramped and the rooms will appear to be smaller than they really are.

To make it seem more spacious, you should tidy up and de-clutter your house before any viewings take place. If necessary put bulky items of furniture into storage so that they can see the true dimensions of each room.

Photo of a house with an overgrown garden
Clean up your garden if you want to sell your house faster, as well as de-cluttering your home. Photo © Philip Halling (cc-by-sa/2.0)

First impressions count with property

What are the first parts of your house that a potential buyer will see? The importance of first impressions has been proven by a 2019 YouGov survey which found the top 3 aspects of the property were:

  • Windows in good condition (no peeling paint, broken panes, etc.) – 71%
  • Roof in good condition (no missing tiles, etc.) – 68%
  • A neat and well-cared front garden (tidy lawn, no weeds, etc.) – 67%

If the outside appearance of the property is well-maintained and visually appealing you are more likely to make a good first impression resulting in a faster property sale.

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Carry out those minor DIY property repairs


To continue the good impression you have made on the buyer, now is the opportunity to fix those niggling repair jobs round the house that you keep putting off.

Replacing broken doorknobs, tap washers or bathroom and kitchen tiles and filling holes in the walls are all ways to make sure that your home looks its best for a fast sale, but which do not cost a fortune.

Photo of windows and front door on house
Make sure your windows and door are in good order and painted if you want a faster house sale. Photo © Jo Turner (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Refresh the paintwork around your property

We are not suggesting that you redecorate the entire house because most new homeowners prefer to choose their own home decor. However, repainting a front door which has flaking paint or touching up paintwork on inside doors and the skirting board can make a difference to how well-maintained your property looks.

If you have the budget you should repaint the walls in a neutral shade of white or similar colour.

Would-be buyers would then not be distracted by your choice of striking paint colours or wallpaper. Unsightly decor, although easily changed, can actually put prospective buyers off altogether.

If you want to sell your house faster then get rid of any unsightly decor.

Clean your house before viewings

Before your first viewings you should make sure that the house has a thorough spring-clean. Spend time cleaning off limescale in the bathroom and the tiling grout.

Don’t forget to make sure the windows are clean and presentable. Not only will this be apparent from outside, but it will also allow natural light to flood into rooms and make the whole house seem more appealing. This is likely to assist you to sell your house faster.

Photo of a brightly painted house
Maybe you love that yellow, but maybe your buyers don’t. Try to stay neutral when it comes to colours to sell your house much faster. Photo © Alan Hughes (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Eliminating unpleasant odours around your house

When buyers visit your property, how it smells is almost as important as how it looks. Get rid of unpleasant smells by emptying the bins, making sure all rooms have been well aired by opening a window and check the drains are not blocked.

Vases of flowers or flowering plants in the rooms can make your home smell nice without resorting to the artificial perfumes of air fresheners which might suggest you are covering up a bad smell.

A home that not only looks nice but smalls nice and has a homely, warm feel will please your viewers and help you sell your house faster

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