5 min read

How to Sell Your House Quickly

Want to strike while the iron’s hot? Here’s how to sell your house quickly.

How to sell a house fast

Ensure the timing is right
Pick your estate agent carefully
Decide an accurate sale price
Make a good first impression
Promote the area
Find a good solicitor early on
Be communicative
Don’t be afraid to micromanage
Make the most of viewings
Choose the right buyer
Consider offers carefully

How can I increase my chances of selling my house quickly?

The ‘race for space’ has been well & truly on, with the pandemic shifting buyer priorities. Bigger properties and more green spaces form key criteria for the best places to live.

Despite this, no sale is guaranteed to go through. There can be delays in the conveyancing process, or due to property chains or buyers. It’s essential to keep communication open, micromanage the purchase and ensure everyone in your ‘team’ (e.g. estate agents, solicitors) are doing their job well. We’ll take a look at more tips for selling your home fast.

How to sell your house fast – 11 top tips

It’s important to be aware that even if you do everything ‘right’, there can be delays to the selling process that are out of your control, e.g. Land Registry checks. However, here’s some advice to give you the best chance of keeping the property sale moving along smoothly.

#1 – Ensure the timing is right

Deciding if now is a good time to sell isn’t all about house prices, so don’t be swayed by property headlines. The answer will depend on many things, such as:

Personal circumstances (e.g. career, family)
Whether you can afford it
If it’s worth adding value to your home first through home improvements
If you’re ready – it can be a difficult & lengthy process!

#2 – Pick your estate agent carefully

The estate agent works for you, and will be a key player in ensuring your home sells quickly – and for a good price. While estate agent fees can vary, you’re looking at about 1-3% of the sale price. Be wary of anything lower than 1%, it might result in a very ‘hands off’ service.

Choose an estate agent with a proven track record of selling your type of property, in your area. They should have valuable local knowledge you can tap into. A proactive agent will be essential all the way through the journey, not just for marketing your home and finding a buyer, but during the conveyancing process also. While an online estate agent might be cheaper, they may not have their ear to the ground like traditional local estate agents will.

Look at their current marketing material, can they be trusted to advertise your property well? How well you market your property will massively impact whether it’s a slow or fast sale.

#3 – Decide an accurate sale price

One of the main reasons a house doesn’t sell? An inflated, inaccurate sale price. You shouldn’t undervalue your property just to get potential buyers through the door, but a sale price that’s too high will likely put buyers off.

Get a good idea of how much your home is worth yourself, don’t just rely on estate agents. Some may inflate the price just to secure your business. Look at how much similar properties have sold for in the area, for example.

#4 – Make a good first impression

Making a good first impression is key – as it can seriously impact time on the market. Some top tips:

Ensure the listing on the property portal presents it well
- Accurate, detailed description
- Plenty of high-quality photos
- Draw attention to unique features
Declutter but don’t depersonalise
Clean thoroughly
Be clever with lighting
Remove any bad odours

You have seconds for property buyers to decide if they’re interested. So, make the most of them!

#5 – Promote the area

Buyers will look at the local area also when deciding whether to buy; it’s not all about the property alone. So, do your best to showcase it in its best possible light. From good transport links to large green spaces, or great entertainment, there are plenty of points you could consider highlighting.

#6 – Find a good solicitor early on

Finding a good, proactive solicitor is absolutely key. We can connect you with trusted professionals, all who work on a no sale, no fee basis. Get a conveyancing quote – for free.

Find a Solicitor

#7 – Be communicative

Being responsive and communicative is possibly the most important fact when it comes to selling your house fast. Stay in touch with everyone in the property chain, as well as keeping in close contact with your solicitor and estate agent. Slow responses cause delays.

#8 – Don’t be afraid to micromanage

Take a proactive approach to keep things moving in a timely fashion. Get the contact details for everyone in the chain, and try to find out where they’re at in the process, as well as their proposed timescales. Often, the more hands-on you are, the better.

Particularly if you’re buying and selling, micromanaging the process will help your home sell faster.

#9 – Make the most of viewings

Selling your home quickly won’t just be your responsibility, but also those in your ‘team’. Use your estate agent to their fullest extent during viewings; this is their area of expertise. It can be a good idea to duck out of the first viewing and let them do their job. Removing pets and noisy children can also be a good idea. Plus, of course, ensure your property is presented in its best possible light.

Try to find out as much about prospective buyers as you can, for example:

Are they first-time buyers? Or do they have a house to sell?
How quickly are they looking to move?
How committed do they appear?

#10 – Choose the right buyer

The buyer will massively impact how fast or slow your property takes to sell. For example, selling to a cash buyer may be quicker, as there’s no chain. This is the same as with first-time buyers, as property chains are notorious for delays.

However, there are pros and cons. In some cases, chain-free buyers may make a lower offer in the knowledge they’re more attractive to certain sellers as they’re able to move quicker.

#11 – Consider offers carefully

Considering an offer on your property is never easy – and a good offer isn’t all about the money. Don’t just look at the price for your property. It also depends on the buyer themselves:

Are they communicative?
Are they prepared?
How big is their chain?
Do their timescales work with yours?

Someone who wants to buy your house should have a mortgage in principle, be responsive and ready to go.

Although sometimes they can be hard to spot, try to avoid time wasters where possible.