Do you need to sell a house fast? On average, it takes more than 70 days to sell a house from listing to closing, and that doesn’t include the time it takes to stage the house, improve its curb appeal, and prepare it for the home selling process.
If you’ve been searching online with questions like “how to sell my house fast?” you’ll be glad to know there are ways to speed up the home sale process and get your cash quickly. This article will look at several options to figure out which is the fastest way to sell a house.
The Fastest Way To Sell a House
While the average time to sell a house is between two to three months, many factors will determine how long it takes to close the deal.
The first is whether you use a real estate agent or put your home up as For Sale by Owner (FSBO). Selling through a realtor can sometimes be quicker, as they can access better marketing tools and a more comprehensive network of prospective buyers, but only if the real estate agent is good.
It also depends on the sale price. If the price is low, more potential buyers will be interested in buying the property, so you’ll get it off your hands faster. However, you shouldn’t devalue your house and sell it below its actual home value just because you want to get things over with.
The housing market also significantly influences how soon your house will sell. In a seller’s market, more prospective homeowners will be looking to snatch up your home, especially if you priced it per its market value. But if the real estate market isn’t in the healthiest state, it can take a lot longer.
Location is another significant factor. Even if you raise your asking price, you can find a lot of buyers willing to pay more if the area is nice. Many buyers will pay top dollar to be close to shopping malls, the highway (if they need to commute to work), or a quiet, green, peaceful spot.
Finally, the condition of your home will also affect the time it sits on the local market. If it requires a lot of upgrades and renovations, fewer people will be interested in stepping through the front door to purchase it due to the extra hassle involved.
Accept a Lower Offer
If you’re looking to sell a house fast in Fox Point, one of the best bets to consider is accepting a lower offer! While it’s tempting to hold out for the highest offer possible for your home, it will take longer to get results. After all, you’ll likely spend time negotiating with buyers and passing up on people ready to buy your home while hoping you will get a better offer later.
However, this option isn’t suitable for everyone. While you’ll sell your home quicker, you could potentially lose out on tens of thousands of dollars by accepting any low offer that comes your way.
Use All Available House Selling Tools
There are plenty of online tools available to speed up a home sale. Using a listing service to post your home on multiple websites is one of the best ways to find more buyers. Several websites to consider include Zillow and Trulia.
You can also find buyers by listing your home on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. With this route, you’ll be more likely to find cash buyers, home flippers, and private real estate investors.
If you can get your home on the Multiple Listing Service database, that’s even better. The MLS database is what real estate agents and brokers use to find homes for sale and buyers for the properties they’re trying to sell. Unfortunately, you can’t list your home on the MLS database without a real estate license.
However, you can pay a real estate agent a small fee (usually a few hundred dollars) to get it listed on that database. It can be well worth it, as it will connect you to agents looking for houses for their clients.
Another valuable way to get a faster closing date and make a quick sale is to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Some of the most effective options include:
- Hiring a landscaping company to improve curb appeal
- Do a deep clean so that your home looks sparkling during open houses
- Declutter your rooms to make them appear more spacious
- Repaint your exterior and interior with a fresh coat
These steps are referred to as “home staging,” or preparing the home for potential buyers.
Using a Very Good Realtor
It’s essential to use a knowledgeable realtor with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), as using their experience with the selling process and showings can be the fastest way to sell a house. The downside of using realtors is that they charge real estate commissions, which can easily go up to 8% or even more.
A well-established realtor will have a wide network and be able to find buyers for your home quickly. They may have many clients looking to buy your home, or they may even know real estate investors interested in purchasing your home as an investment.
While you have to pay a commission, a realtor can help you get a better price on your home than selling it yourself. That can compensate you for the extra commission and closing fees.
Selling Your House to a Cash Home Buyer in Wisconsin
One of the best ways to sell your home fast is to find cash buyers willing to pay cash for your house.
This way, you will save on closing costs, avoiding both the seller’s agent commission and buyer’s agent commission, the latter of which you usually end up paying even if you put up your home as FSBO. When you deal with cash home buyers, you don’t pay any fees or commissions.
Companies that buy homes for cash come in all types. There are iBuyers, which are nationwide companies like Redfin that purchase houses for cash but don’t operate in all markets.
Elsewhere, there are real estate investors that purchase homes for cash. Both long-term and short-term investors exist.
Long-term investors may turn your home into a rental property, leasing it out to tenants and generating a passive income. Alternatively, they may wait to sell until the housing market improves and prices in the area increase.
Short-term investors use a more aggressive strategy. Instead of holding onto your home for a long time, they flip it quickly for a significant profit. That’s why they are okay with buying distressed homes that need a lot of work—they know they can renovate it and flip it within a year or less for a reasonable profit.
If you own such a home, finding cash home buyers in Wisconsin is your best option, as you can sell your house as-is without investing in repairs or renovations first. Home flippers are also usually willing to buy homes that are facing foreclosure, have liens on them, or have other issues.
It’s best to go with a local company specializing in buying homes for cash in your state, as they will know about state laws and ensure the home-selling process goes smoothly.
When you sell to a cash home buying company, you will avoid the need to negotiate the price, as they will give you a fair cash offer based on your home’s market value. On the other hand, when selling to individual cash buyers who are operating alone, you may have to deal with lowball offers and strong negotiation tactics.
Another advantage of selling to an established company that buys homes for cash is that you won’t waste time vetting buyers. There are a lot of scammers in the real estate industry, including wannabee home flippers who don’t have the necessary funds to actually buy your home.
With a reputable home-buying company, you can get your cash within as little as a few weeks. Moreover, as established companies are usually pretty flexible in closing, you’ll have the choice of closing right away or staying in your home a little longer.
Finally, selling to cash buyers will allow you to save on the fees required to sell a house. Not only do you not have to deal with the real estate agent fee, but you can typically avoid other expenses, such as a home inspection fee.
Conclusion
So, which is the fastest way to sell a house? That may depend on your location, the condition of your home, and other factors. Whether you need to move quickly due to a job relocation or simply need funds fast for an emergency or an investment opportunity, we can help.
We buy houses Milwaukee residents know will be for a fair price. Our simple three-step process makes selling a home a breeze. Start by giving us a call or requesting a quote online. We will schedule a walk-through of your home, or you can send us pictures. We will give you a quote and then close on your schedule!
