How to sell your house quickly for a good price
With the knowledge and experience stuffed into this guide you are guaranteed to find a house buyer within 1 month.
Imagine your feelings on the day of early completion for the price you want. You finally learned how to sell your house quickly for a good price because of this guide.
We are 30 day house sale specialists and therefore know what buyers want when it comes to houses.
So, spend a few minutes reading below and save yourself months on your sale.
Frequently asked questions
If you need to sell your house in 30 days or less, you will need to use a specialist cash house buying company. For an offer of up to 100% market value then get a quote now. If you have more time to spare you should sell through an estate agent using the traditional route. Preparing your house, finding the right agent and finishing the legals quickly are all essential parts to completing the sale quickly for a good price.
If you’re looking to sell in 1 month or less, then it will not be possible to get the same price as you would on the open market. Any cash house buying company that promises this will have this higher price at the “foot in the door stage” but lower the price when it comes to the “handing over the money” stage. That is why finding and using a reputable cash house buyer will save you time and money in the long-term.
It is our mission here at CashHouse.co.uk as a specialist 30-day house buyer to give you an unparalleled service. You’ll get moving to start your new life with no hassle or surprises. We offer 24/7 customer support to help you and have 7 years of property experience supporting people just like you. Get a free, no obligation quote today by filling in our simple form here.
contents
Preparing your House
Finding the Right Buyer
Making the Sale
Preparing
your House
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to improve the things most important to buyers, making your house as attractive as it can be.
Then we’ll explain the best times to sell and how to find out what a good price for you to get from a buyer is.
What are the first steps to sell my house quickly for a good price?
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
Benjamin Franklin knew that as far back as 1947, and it very much still applies. This is especially true for selling your house which is a challenging process, but it does not need to be. 
The first thing you must decide is how quickly you need to sell your house. This is important because your strategy will change depending on whether you need the cash within 30 days or 3 months.
I need to sell in less than 30 days, how do I prepare my house?
When a customer tells us that they need to “sell my house in 30 days“, we have to act quickly.
For this type of sale you will need to look for an experienced cash buyer to purchase your house. The good news is that they tend to look more at the structure of the house and its potential. That being said, cash buyers rate your house’s decorative condition from poor to excellent and offer based on that rating.
There are some quick, easy changes you can make to improve your house’s rating.
Blend Repair Sites
Make sure previous repairs are finished to a high standard. They should blend well with the surrounding area. If they do not, you could correct it yourself for something manageable such as painting or applying silicone. To paint over an uneven surface, sand and then clean the surface first to smoothen the end result. Most importantly, wear a mask before sanding to avoid dust inhalation which can be harmful to your health.
To remove poorly applied silicone, scrape away using a knife then purchase silicone remover and apply. After 30 minutes it will be ready to wipe off. De-grease the area using white spirit. For joints with lots of movement such as shower trays, use low modulus silicone. For joints with not much expected movement use high modulus silicone. Then cut your silicone nozzle to the size of the profiling tool of the right size for your corner (recommend this). Apply the bead and smoothen over with the profiling tool. For more information, view this guide by WikiHow.
Remove Visible Mould
Mouldy areas could be on walls, ceilings and silicone joints where water runs regularly such as a shower or bath. You can wipe the mould away from painted walls or tiles using specialised mould remover solution or spray. To stop mould returning, you must identify the problem’s source. This almost always is a lack of ventilation in the area.
For silicone that has turned black, roll up a piece of kitchen towel and place across the affected area. After that, pour some thick bleach on top of the silicone and leave for 24 hours. The kitchen towel holds the bleach close to the silicone leaving enough of it to kill the mould. After the waiting time, pull the kitchen towel off and you should see a fresh, clean silicone bead underneath. You will need to repeat the process once more if the mould on your silicone was particularly bad. Try and do this when you will not need the bathroom for 24 hours. To clarify, the bleach smell will make the bathroom unusable while it works its magic.
Conceal Dried Stains
Stains are unsightly and can show your buyer signs that a leak has happened in the area. Usually these are on painted ceilings. So, the way you choose to remove the stain will depend on its size. For smaller stains, use a fine mist spray bottle and fill it with a solution of 50% bleach and water. Then spray lightly, making sure to protect your eyes, hair and skin. Leave the sprayed area for 24 hours and repeat as needed. For larger stains, you should use a stain block and when it dries then paint your wall. For a better finish you should paint the whole wall/ceiling and not just the stained area. This makes sure there are no paint marks visible on the ceiling.
Optimise the space
Once the building work above is finished, you can start moving your furnishings. Make sure all room layouts maximise space and any unnecessary items are removed. Your buyer will then feel your house is more spacious and this been shown to increase purchase price.
Make a great first impression
Remember, the first place that your buyer will see when they come to view the house is the outside. If you have a front or back garden, make sure all areas are tidy and well-presented. Any weeds need to be removed, grass cut and flowers planted where possible. If you place flower baskets like these by the front door you will make the house feel more cared for.
Ensure you have an operational security system
If your house has an alarm system, make sure it is activated and you know how to use it. This will mean less expense for the buyer once they have purchased, making your house more attractive to them.
Get an online valuation
Websites such as zoopla.com and rightmove.co.uk offer you estimated valuations for your house. These are based on previously sold stats and the market variations in your area since then.
It is worth looking at your house and those recently sold close by to get an idea of your valuation. Keep in mind that these websites have limitations. They do not take into account any improvements in decorative condition or any extensions by default. To include these, you have to specifically input that data into their system. If you have the time to get an agent valuation, this will likely be more accurate.
What Else Should I do to Prepare if I can Wait 12 Weeks To Sell My House For A Good Price?
To sell your house for a good price within 12 weeks, you will most likely be selling to residential buyers. They want to move in and live in your house themselves. These buyers will need to imagine living in your house, looking more deeply into the lifestyle it will give them. As such, the 7 points mentioned above are a great starting point however, more can be done to improve the chances of selling your house quickly for a good price.
Go it alone
Many people are now selling alone. This could help you sell your house quickly for a good price because you save the agent fee. To clarify, this would be a saving of £4,000 on a £200,000 house. You could keep that or pass the saving on to your buyers.
There are a few things you have to watch out for if going down this route. Firstly, you will only have access to “for sale by vendor” portals which are less popular than the traditional ones.
Secondly, make sure that you are able to show off the best aspects of your home. Through this method, agents pay for themselves by achieving a higher sale price.
Change your room use
Over time when you live somewhere, it’s easy for rooms to lose their original purpose. Bedrooms can become office spaces and a reception room turns into a playroom. Research has shown that presenting a house in this way can reduce its valuation. This is because buyers value rooms differently. For example, bedrooms are perceived to be worth more than a study. Additionally, dining rooms are worth more than playrooms.
Make use of friendly neighbours
When your buyer looks to move into an area, the neighbourhood and community will play a big part in their decision. As a seller it’s easy to feel that you’re not in control of this but you can be. If you have friendly neighbours, make the most of it by telling them about viewings in advance. This gives them a chance to wave over the fence to make the buyer feel welcomed into the community.
Get quotes for any works that need to be done
When you’ve decided to sell your house, sometimes it makes sense to leave some decorative/building work for the buyer. Although there is no problem with that, it is important for you to know that buyers almost always overestimate cost of works when making a purchase. This helps them to negotiate, which you do not want if you want to sell quickly for a good price. To avoid confusion with this, gain an official quote from a trusted tradesman that you can show any buyer.
Get an agent valuation
An experienced estate agent will know the recently sold prices for property in an area and the decorative conditions/specifications. They can also take into account your house’s decorative condition and works that have been done. This helps them to give a much more accurate valuation than online estate agents. There are also many agents who will provide valuations for free. This helps you discover what a good price is for your house but also whether you want that agent.
Create a lifestyle
Buyers will see your house as more than just bricks and mortar, it is the space that will allow them to create a new life for themselves. That’s why you should infuse a twist of excitement into your space.
Can they pick fresh berries from the field behind? Is the garden the perfect barbecue spot? Has your dining room hosted countless group dinners? Show them and tell them – just like in an interview, now is not the time for modesty! A crucial way to sell your house fast for a good price is to get your buyer to make an emotional connection with your property. This inspires them to give the asking price and complete quickly.
Lastly, check our guide on Dressing a House to Sell for inspiring design ideas.
Finding
The Right
Buyer
There are many buyers out in the market who will buy your house. However, only a small number of those will buy your house quickly without lowering the price.
In this section you’ll learn the best way to find the right buyer for your house and how to significantly reduce the chance of your sale falling through. You’ll even find this information in an infographic called The House Buyer Hierarchy.
By following the guidance in this section you’ll already be well on your way to a smooth sale.
- contact@cashhouse.co.uk
What is the first step to finding the right buyer to sell my house quickly for a good price?
The strategy you should use to sell your house quickly for the best price will depend on how quickly you need to sell. As stated in The Advisory and MoneySavingExpert, independent advice websites, to sell in less than 4 weeks a specialist cash house buying company will be your best option. If you have longer then you should consider other options, as you can see in our infographic below.
From fastest to slowest the order is: 1) cash buyers, 2) no chain mortgaged buyers, 3) chain with house on the market and 4) chain with house off the market.
The reason for this order is very simple: every step you add to selling extends the time taken to complete. In other words, cash buyers have the least steps because they do not have to satisfy lender requirements. Secondly, non-chained buyers are faster than chained buyers because they don’t need to sell a house which has its own requirements. Lastly, chained buyers with their house on the market are faster because they are more serious about buying than buyers without their house on the market.
Are There Any Disadvantages to Selling My House Quickly?
You may believe that the faster you sell your house, the lower the price you will achieve from the buyer. Although that is true in general, you also must consider the associated costs shown below. This compares a traditional sale through an estate agent to one through a cash house buying company.
As you can see, it may not be as simple as taking the highest offer price. However, the costs shown for a traditional sale do not always eat up the difference in sale price. If a traditional sale takes 2-3 months to complete, costs are lowest and the gain is the highest. Therefore, if you 1) have the time to wait, 2) do not mind chasing the solicitors to speed up the process and 3) can afford the possibility of the sale falling through, a traditional sale is your best option.
I'm Interested in a Cash Sale, What is My Next Step?
You have to be very careful about which cash house buying companies you use to make your sale. There are many on the market now, but not all of them operate in a fair way to you. Unfortunately, some companies will promise to buy your house quickly for a good price. Thereafter they find any way to reduce the sale price and leave you disappointed. Our company believes that to grow we must always act in an open and fair way that protects our customers. This is why we are giving you all the information in this guide. If you are interested in selling your house fast for cash, get a quote with us now.
I'm Interested in a Traditional Sale, What is My Next Step?
The best way to find a traditional sale on the open market is through an estate agent. There are two main types of agent, online and offline. Online agents can charge as little as £99, compared with an average of 1.18% plus VAT from a traditional agent. It may seem as though you are saving money with an online agent, but the cost of an online agent comes in the sale price. For 73% of sales, a traditional agent will achieve you a faster sale and for a 5% better sale price than an online agent. If you’re looking to sell your house fast for a good price, that is certainly desirable.
Additionally, since traditional agents are paid more with higher sale prices they are motivated to negotiate better prices for you. They will furthermore still list your house online with the most popular property portals – Rightmove and Zoopla.
I have Decided to Sell With a Traditional Agent, How do I Find The Best One For Me?
There are plenty of high street estate agents to choose from. But, you have to be cautious when choosing one. A recent study by Which?, the largest independent consumer body in the UK, showed that one out of six people are dissatisfied with their estate agent after moving. The right estate agent is critical to sell your house quickly for a good price. The steps below will help you to make the best decision on selecting an estate agent.
1) Do your Research
The easiest place to start searching for estate agents is by going on Rightmove or Zoopla. There you can search for properties that are similar to yours for sale. See if you recognise the estate agents listing them and what the most popular ones are.
Afterwards, identify 3 or more that interest you and go for a walk in your local area. See if these agents are also placing “For Sale” signs outside the houses. If so then you know that they’re active and experienced in the area.
2) Make Contact
Go to the agency offices during working hours and ask about the services they provide. Initially, you can act as an interested buyer wanting to purchase a property similar to yours. This will give you a very good indication of how the agent will act with prospective buyers of your house. That is if you choose to list with them. Key things to ask about are whether they will offer a free valuation, what the selling fees are and any similar properties that they have sold recently.
3) Watch Out For Warning Signs
Some estate agents can use tricks to try and get the advantage over their competitors. These include giving a high valuation, very low fee or making promises without having viewed your house. To avoid problems later on, stay away from agents that show those warning signs. In contrast, a good agent should be a member of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). You can check for this watermark on the agent’s website or by checking the NAEA database.
4) Go With Your Gut
After you have all the information, it is time to make a decision on which agent to sign up with. Even if they do not have the lowest fees or highest valuation, it is important to go with the agent who you trust and will work well with. Once you are satisfied that you’ve found that then you’re ready to sign up.
I've Signed up With An Agent, What Do I Do Now To Sell My House Fast For The Right Price?
After you’ve signed up with the agent, they will want to take professional photos of your house. Before doing this make sure you’ve followed the steps in the “Preparing your House” section above. You’ll then have no problem showing off the house’s best features to your prospective buyers. After taking the photos the agent will begin advertising your house and start arranging viewings.
Hosting A Viewing
If you’re available during the requested viewing slot, the agent may ask you to host the viewer. This can be a great way of showing what life could be like for the buyer, helping to build that emotional connection. If you’re hosting a viewing make sure you’re prepared for some questions like “is it a combi boiler?”, “does it get cold in the winter?”, “how are the transport links?” or “is the house freehold or leasehold?”. Do not discuss the price directly with the buyer as having the agent negotiate for you will allow you to get the best deal. Depending on the interest in your area, after 3 viewings you will likely have an offer. Once you’ve accepted the offer there are some important things to do that will speed up the process.
Making the Sale
Having accepted a buyer’s offer is a great step towards selling your house, but the work is still far from done. One in four sales won’t complete after reaching this point.
The great news is that with the information in this section you’ll learn:
- To find a proactive solicitor
- The best ways to speed up the selling process
- How to keep the buyer motivated to complete
- contact@cashhouse.co.uk
What are the First Steps To Sell My House Quickly After Accepting an Offer?
The first thing to do is congratulate yourself on getting this far. That being said, there is still work to be done. If the buyer is happy to communicate with you directly, obtain their phone number so you can solve issues quickly.
The average house sale in the UK takes between 2 and 3 months. Since we want to sell our house quickly, there are things we can do to speed up that process. The first of those is appointing the correct solicitor.
How do I Find a Proactive Solicitor for Conveyancing?
A proactive solicitor/conveyancer can significantly speed up your house sale so finding a good one is crucial if you want to sell quickly for the accepted price.
To locate trusted solicitors you should ask for recommendations from friends who have sold their house in the area. This is the most reliable way of finding
If this is fruitless you can search online for “conveyancers in my area“, selecting the ones with good online reviews to investigate further.
Choose at least 3 firms and organise a pre-instruction chat. See how they react to this request – if they are slow at this point then that should be a warning sign of what is to come later on. Things you can ask to help find out their commitment to excellent service are whether they are a member of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme? Do they have any excellence awards? How long have they been in business? Who will be allocated to handle your sale? Once you find the correct match, then there’s plenty you can do to kickstart the sale.
Please keep in mind that due to the stamp duty holiday extension, solicitors are swamped with work. That means that sales will be taking longer than usual to complete, taking up to 21 weeks compared with the usual 12 weeks.
I have a Conveyancer, How Do I Reduce the Time to Complete?
There are a few vital components to conveyancing, these are:
- Welcome pack documents
- Memorandum of Sale
- Personal searches
- House valuation survey
1) Welcome Pack Documents
Every solicitor will have a number of documents and ID requirements that they need you to fulfill at the beginning of the sale. After instruction you should send an e-mail to request this and fill out the forms quickly and always e-mail them back to save on postage time. Being proactive in this way will show the solicitor that you are serious and set the tone for the rest of the sale.
2) Memorandum of Sale
This is a document produced by the estate agent summarising important details like agreed price and vendor/purchaser information. You can call your agent and give them your solicitor’s e-mail address as soon as you have it, asking them to send over the document quickly. A great way to get things done quicker is to ask them to “let me know when it is done“. Another good question is “when can I expect it to be finished by?”. This gets them to set their own deadline to work towards.
3) Personal Searches
Land authority searches are necessary to reveal any issues which may disturb the buyer in the future. To clarify, they reveal things like building regulations non-compliance, future road plans in the area and listed building status. These are essential to ensure you don’t have a road built through your garden, or your soil isn’t toxic. Check at the beginning of the sale whether your buyer has instructed their solicitor to begin these as they can take up to 6 weeks to come back depending on the council. Of note, it is possible to complete the house sale without the personal checks if the buyer is paying with cash. They would just need a specific insurance policy that protects themselves against any losses in the event of something being found after completion that reduces the house value. Only specialised solicitors will know how to access this insurance product.
4) House Valuation Survey
This is another required step in the house buying process. It is necessary if your buyer is using a mortgage lender. To stop the survey causing your delays, ensure you are available on the day they arrive and that the buyer arranges the survey early. You can do this by asking your solicitor to contact the buyer’s solicitor or contacting the buyer directly if you have taken down their number.
Is There Anything Else I Can Do to Sell My House Quickly For The Agreed Price?
Other than working on the specific things that you need above, there is plenty you can do to complete the sale quickly.
Actively Manage Your Sale as a Project
If ever during the sale you think to your self “I don’t know what is holding us up”, then things are going slower than they could be. Your solicitor is your main point of contact and your interest and proactivity will likely be reflected in them if you’ve chosen them correctly. Tell them what you expect from the beginning. We advise that you ask them to give you weekly updates on progress and inform you of any things that are causing delays as soon as they arise. If they know they will have to speak to you at the end of the week they will be more likely to make sure things have moved on by then.
We also recommend that you regularly speak to the buyer to make sure they do the same with their solicitor as both sides need to be working efficiently and actively to finish quickly.
Recruit the Estate Agent
A motivated estate agent can be a vital tool to complete quickly. Since they are paid as soon as the sale is complete, they have plenty of reason to help you move things along. Especially if you are quite busy in your day-to-day life, you can call the estate agent and ask them if there is any way they can help you to speed up the sale. You might just be how helpful they can be with chasing both your solicitor and the buyer’s. That may just give you the extra push you need to sell your house quickly and for a good price.
About the author
This article was written by Dr Sermed Mezher MbChB (Hons) MRes, experienced property investor, published author in Global Paediatric Health and The Journal of Medical Ethics, and medical doctor.
Sermed has a special interest in educating people on how to improve their situation. He believes that physical and financial health are intimately linked.
Sell your house fast for cash
If you’ve tried all of the available options and still are looking to sell your house for cash, get a quote now by following the link below.