When you moved into your home, you might never have expected to say goodbye to it. However, life has a weird way of throwing a wrench into everyone’s plans. There are plenty of reasons why homeowners find themselves in situations where they need to sell their home at an unusually fast pace.
If you need to sell your home fast, you have several options available to you, depending on the market and your own personal situation. Here’s what you need to know about each one, and when it could be the best option for you.
4 Best Ways To Sell Your House Fast
Here are some of the best ways to sell your home fast. Be sure to consider your specific situation and what works best for you before deciding which route to take.
1. Contact A Real Estate Agent
Believe it or not, you might have a good shot at getting your home off the market fast using the traditional method. If you live in a neighborhood that’s in a hot real estate market, all you really need to do is put it up for sale and spruce it up. You can also use an aggressive pricing strategy to ensure the house sells fast.
To make sure your home sells fast, use these tips below:
- Hire an experienced, well-equipped agent. If you want to get the home sold quickly, hiring the right personnel is a must.
- Clean up the interior. Put all clutter you have into storage to help show off how spacious your home really is.
- Invest in exterior work. Landscaping and fresh coats of paint to the outdoors have been statistically linked to faster selling times.
- Be open to negotiation. You don’t want to drag out the time frame for too long and be frank about the reason why you need to sell.
- Consider pricing the home a bit below the market value. This will ensure you attract as many potential buyers and can even lead to a bid-war.
2. Sell Your Home For Cash
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen ads that say “WE BUY HOUSES!” These ads tend to promise extremely fast sales rates, and even offer to pay for all the closing costs. For the most part, they are legitimate and are trustworthy as long as you do a little research about them.
Companies like We Buy Ugly Houses have been in the real estate purchasing industry for ages, and people can sell their homes to them fast, virtually overnight. However, there’s a major caveat here that makes people think twice: you will have to accept a far lower price.
Many people resort to another popular agent that does not require any paperwork or demand any fees. His name is Saint Joseph and he is the patron saint of real estate. He is even commonly used for speeding up the process of selling homes. Burying a St. Joseph statue to sell a house is a common practice among Catholic Christians. It’s a widespread belief that he can help with navigating any challenges associated with selling your home.
If you decide to go for a “homes for cash” exit, make sure to do the following things:
- Research the companies you approach. There have been cases where fraudulent companies have stolen homes. Don’t let that happen to you. The more you research, the better you’ll be.
- Shop around. You should get at least three offers on your home before you make a decision.
- Really think this through. You might kick yourself later for accepting a lowball amount. While this is the fastest way to sell a home, you’ll also leave a lot of money on the table.
- If you haven’t quite tried a traditional sales approach yet, stop and reach out to a real estate agent. They may be able to find a solution for you instead.
Is A House For Cash Sale Right For You?
This is an option that should only be explored if you’re entirely desperate to get rid of the home in a flash. If you don’t need the money ASAP or have extra time on your hands, it’s best to avoid we buy houses companies.
3. Sell Your House Fast To An iBuyer
If you like the concept of selling a house for cash but want to do it online, then check out iBuyer sites. These sites have the same premise as a “house for cash” but have live online bidders that place bids on your home. The end result? You get the highest bid, and you don’t have to schedule meetups. Typically, they’ll offer better prices than we buy houses companies, but you’ll still end up worse off than selling with an agent.
This route is a mixed bag for many, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t give it a shot if you need to sell your house fast. The main advantage is the convenience of being able to sell your house quickly. Just make sure you use a reputable ibuying company.
Is An iBuyer The Best Move For You?
If you are desperately trying to be rid of a home, don’t mind selling the home at a slight discount, and are internet-savvy, then, by all means, give this route a try. However, it’s worth noting that iBuyer-style real estate transactions aren’t available in every state due to various local laws.
Before you decide to rely on this choice, make sure to check with the laws in your jurisdiction and find a site that works in your state. Otherwise, you may end up with plenty of headaches and roadblocks, and instead of selling the home quickly, you’ll be sitting on it for ages.
4. Sell Your House Fast With A Short Sale
If you are about to go into foreclosure, then your options are limited. One of the most common ways to prevent foreclosure is to go for a short sale. With a short sale, your bank approves you for the right to sell your home as a way to recoup costs.
The short sale will usually be made with your lender’s help, and you will have to accept less than what you owe on the property. The rest of the balance might become due after you sell the home. Most buyers are willing to snap up short sales in a pinch, so it’s a great way to sell the house fast.
Is A Short Sale Right For You?
Due to the nature of short sales and their impact on credit scores, having a short sale should only be done under extreme financial duress. Even so, it can help you avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy, so it’s not all bad.
Selling Your House Fast Bottom Line
Though you might be in a rush to sell your home, there’s no reason why you should assume that you don’t have many options. Depending on how fast you need to get rid of your house, you can have an easy time finding a buyer for your home.
No matter how bad the market is, there will always be at least one or two buyers who will see potential in your home. So, even if traditional home sales have failed you, have faith, and be sure to weigh your options. Sometimes a little bit of patience can pay off in a big way. But if you truly need to find the fastest way to sell your home, you have options.