Selling your house quickly in today’s market brings its own set of challenges. Though it may seem a daunting task, take heart, as it can be done. With the right preparation and pricing strategy, plus a few clever tips to make your listing stand out, you can successfully sell your property faster than you think. This guide draws on industry insights to walk you through the process step-by-step.
Why might I want to sell my house fast?
There are many reasons why you may be looking to sell your house in a hurry. Perhaps you’ve been offered your dream job, but it requires relocating across the country quickly. Or you may suddenly need to downsize to release equity to help cover unexpected medical bills or support family members.
Relationship breakdowns commonly create the need to sell a shared property quickly so both parties can move on. At the same time, happier reasons like expanding your family can make getting your house sold urgent to upsize into something more suitable.
Whatever the driver, selling your house swiftly means you can press ahead with the next chapter in your life. Rather than the property sale taking months to complete, costing you stress and money during a difficult period. Taking proactive steps to prepare your home for a faster sale means you can be ready to react to whatever circumstances come your way.
The key is getting the property looking its best to appeal to potential buyers from the outset. This way, you can take advantage of any opportunities that arise.
Before we dive into how to sell your house fast, for any property owners with apartments, you should check out our other article specifically for selling flats fast, as there are some strategic differences between selling houses and selling flats fast.
What makes a house stand out and sell quickly?
Selling quickly means drawing home buyers in immediately and convincing them that your property is the one they want. With just a few well-chosen upgrades and improvements, you can make all the difference.
Kerb appeal
First impressions count. Make sure the exterior of your home looks smart, tidy and welcoming so that when potential viewers show up, they see the property in good light. Paint the front door, clear the garden of clutter, add potted flowers and even wash the car if it’s on the driveway.
Declutter and clean
Pack away excess furniture and personal items so each room feels spacious, and buyers can imagine themselves living there. Then do a deep clean, removing dirt, grime and any lingering odours. Consider professionally cleaning carpets and curtains too.
Consider updating the kitchen and bathroom
The kitchen and bathroom are often the deal-breaking rooms. If yours are dated, replace taps and showerheads, paint cabinets, change drawer handles, and install new flooring. These finishing touches add polish at a reasonable cost, meaning you don’t need to refurbish the entire room but can give it a new lease of life.
Getting the price right
When selling a house, setting the right asking price is the most important factor influencing how quickly it will move on the market. An appropriately priced property sparks buyer interest and invites multiple offers. But overpricing leads to stagnation, with fewer viewings while your house lingers unsold for months. If a house goes unsold for a month or two, buyer interest will drop significantly as many potential buyers will assume there’s something wrong with the property and won’t arrange a viewing.
Understand the local market
Scan listing sites such as Rightmove to uncover similar, nearby houses’ final sold prices per square foot and the sale prices they achieved. Cross-reference the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, outside space and other amenities against your own, as it benchmarks your house against the local market, highlighting the prevailing price per square foot that buyers currently pay. Additionally, compare finishes — does your kitchen or bathroom need updating to achieve parity with sold houses in superior decorative condition? Factor any discrepancies into your pricing. Get a property valuation from a trustworthy local estate agent who knows the market and sells in your area regularly.
Location matters
Your house’s location largely determines its sale appeal and value. Homes in prime spots like central London or beside transport links and shops sell the fastest. This convenience and lifestyle accessibility increases buyer competition.
How old is your house, and what condition is it in?
When valuing your house, the property’s age and interior condition also sway the price beyond just location and dimensions. Newbuilds or newly refurbished homes tend to justify higher valuations than older, dated properties. Saying that, some sought-after older homes, like Georgian and Victorian period properties, can be in high demand due to charming features like ornate fireplaces and sash windows.
Familiarise yourself with the local housing market
Closely tracking housing market trends lets you optimise pricing and sales strategies. When supply is low, yet local demand is thriving, slight price hikes can capture buyers competing for scarce stock. When sales slow, however, competitively pricing your home compared to stagnating values may convince hesitant purchasers to commit. Align to actual conditions. In the UK, statistically the best time to put a house on the market is between March and May due to increased seasonal demand.
Will an estate agent help me sell my house fast?
Estate agents certainly have experience guiding sellers through property sales. But, selling quickly through traditional channels like an agent poses some challenges. Using an estate agent often means committing your property to them for 8 to 12 weeks, during which time they will market your home and review offers before then progressing sales negotiations and conveyancing.
While this is the right move for some, this standard process often doesn’t suit a seller needing to offload their property quickly. Agents juggle multiple listings, so if yours isn’t generating immediate activity, less time may be dedicated to proactively chasing buyers. Essentially, using an agent provides less control over engagement levels and sales timeframes.
How can I guarantee a fast house sale?
Turning to a professional property company is the only surefire way to secure a fast, hassle-free house sale. At Property Rescue, we make an offer on your home within 24 hours then pay for all the legal processes for you. This lets you proceed with your onward plans without delay.
One major benefit is we purchase homes in any condition, saving you time and money on repairs and renovations. Additionally, we agree on a completion date to suit your needs, even if it’s only 48 hours after the offer. Compared to the traditional three to six months it takes to sell a home on the property market, this is lightning fast.
Moreover, the property is sold without the need for viewings, or any requirement from your part to get it “sale ready”. So, if you need to sell a house fast, using Property Rescue represents the clearest path towards fixed completion timeframes.
But won’t a fast property-buying company undercut my home’s value?
Property Rescue values transparency above all else. Every home is different, but we normally pay 80% of market value for a house, or 90% for an assisted sale. our rates are reasonable when you consider:
- You won’t need to pay any estate fees
- You won’t need to pay any legal fees
- You won’t need to pay for any certificates or surveys
- There’s no risk of buyers pulling out
- There’s no risk of being gazundered
- Fast sales can result in paying less mortgage interest (situation dependent)
- No chains. No waiting. Just a simple and direct guaranteed cash buyer sale
We’ve created a simple, no-obligation quote that will tell you exactly how much you’ll get should you decide to sell with us.
Get your free quote in as little as 30-seconds and see how much we’ll pay for your house.