When putting your Houston area house on the market, you may be wondering—exactly how long does it take to sell a house?
As a seller, this is vital information. Unfortunately, there is no one neat and tidy answer!
The fact is, many different things can impact how long your house remains on the housing market.
To help you organize your life and budget properly, let’s take a closer look at what may influence time on the market and steps you can take to quickly sell your house.
How Long Does it Take to Sell a House?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could list your house with a real estate agent and see a sale a day or two later for the price you want?
Instead, it is likely to take weeks and sometimes months.
How Long do Most Houses Take to Sell?
In the United States, the average time it takes a house to sell is 55-70 days. This number, however, can vary, depending on where you are in the US and a variety of factors that we will explore below.
For example, in Houston Texas, homes spend, on average, 56 days on the market.
Pro Tip: Selling to a real estate investor or cash home buyer like PPS House Buyers means you can sell your house in a matter of days without these long waiting periods, paying commissions, fees, or closing costs.
How Long Does it Take From Offer to Completion?
Let’s take a look at the traditional process. Once a potential buyer submits an offer, and it is accepted by the seller, it often takes about 30-45 days to close.
So, taking the above numbers into consideration, this means that your house may be on the market for 25-30 days with the remaining time spent on a closing period. All things equal!
Factors That May Impact How Long a House is on the Market
National and local averages are one thing, but contributing factors may lead your home to sell more quickly than average, or, more slowly.
Here’s what could impact the timeline when selling your home.
The Condition of the House
Clean, fresh, well-maintained homes tend to sell more quickly than those that require repairs, renovations, or cleaning.
To help the sales process, and to help potential buyers envision themselves living in your house, give it a thorough clean, remove large pieces of furniture that can overwhelm a space, and do your best to eliminate all clutter and personal effects.
If your house requires a lot of work, or you are simply not in the position to devote time and financial resources to sprucing up your property, a cash home buyer like us will purchase it ‘as is.’ This can save time, money, and hassle in your home sale.
Seasonality
Time of year can play a role in how much time your house spends on the market.
Generally speaking, November through February tends to be the slowest months for housing sales. Not only are these months slower, but they also tend to be less profitable with home prices at their lowest.
Spring and summer are the best times to list. Buyers are motivated, especially those with children as they’d like to complete their move before the new school year.
It is important to note, however, that the effects of seasonality can be different in different parts of the country. December in the midwest looks very different than December on the Gulf Coast.
Do a little market research and consult with a realtor or a real estate agent if you would like guidance and support.
The Location
Location still remains one of the single most important factors in selling a house.
Houses that are located in desirable neighborhoods, near amenities, good schools, and green spaces, with easy commutes, will sell the fastest.
While people will always look for pleasant and livable areas, where they find them can change. After the COVID-19 pandemic more buyers shifted away from cities and urban areas in favor of rural locations.
Fears of contagion and increased remote work opportunities changed the way people were living and how they were buying homes.
So, before setting a price, explore what is going on in the real estate market so you can get yourself the best offer possible.
Market Conditions
Houses sell much more quickly in a sellers’ market. In these market conditions, inventory is low and demand is high. It is likely that your house will sell below the average time, and go for a higher sales price. There is lots of competition so it is likely your home will receive multiple offers, driving up the price.
In a buyers’ market, there are plenty of homes to choose from and buyers move slowly, waiting for the perfect home to come along. In this type of housing market, prices drop as sellers and agents try to increase viewings and entice offers from interested buyers.
A savvy estate agent might decide to list your house slightly below market value in an attempt to generate a bidding war, and, in turn, increase the actual sale price to market value or above.
When choosing a real estate solution like PPS House Buyers, you will receive a generous offer for your house without having to worry about market conditions and listing strategies.
The Real Estate Agent
If you decide to use a realtor or real estate agent, your choice may play a role in how quickly your house moves.
It is best to choose an agent with experience. An experienced real estate agent can arrange a home inspection, find a sweet spot for your listing price, communicate clearly with the seller and with potential buyers, and negotiate possible contingencies and closing costs.
An inexperienced agent may turn off an interested buyer so it is important that you do your research before making a selection.
It is important to remember that listing with a real estate agent can eat into your bottom line. This selling avenue comes with delays, waiting periods, fees, closing costs, and agent commissions. Not only can listing with an agent impact how long it takes to sell your house, but also how much you can make from the sale.
Pro Tips for Quickly Selling Your House
Some things cannot be controlled when it comes to selling your home. Mortgage rates and market conditions, for example, can slow down your sale. But there are still some things you can do that may lead to a quick sale of your home.
New Trend: Skip Realtors and Real Estate Agents
One thing people do when looking for a quick turnaround is to sell the home in Houston without hiring a Realtor.
While the National Association of Realtors says you will likely make less money with a traditional FSBO sale, they are referring to the sales price before paying commissions.
At this point, many may assume we are talking about the traditional FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sale. With a FSBO transaction, you will not need to pay a real estate commission but you are still going to have to put in a little work.
You’ll have to hustle a little to find buyers if you do not already have a Realtor representing them. And it is a good idea to study up on things like earnest money and to have all closing documents in order so you can easily bring the sale to legal completion.
FSBO can mean a faster sale, but you will still have time to wait. Buyers using a mortgage lender will need an appraisal. Overall, this can delay the sale by about 30-45 days.
You can sell your home faster without an agent, but also without going the FSBO route. Let’s discuss…
Sell As-Is to a Cash Buyer
Making repairs to your home can be both time-consuming and costly. To speed up the sale of your house, you may decide to find a legitimate cash buyer and sell the property as-is.
In this instance, you will not need to make improvements or respond to any conditions buyers have put on the sale. You simply sell the house.
The buyer is agreeing to buy the house as it stands today. With all of its faults, damages, and required repairs.
Find a Cash Buyer
Finding an experienced company that is a cash buyer can make all the difference in your sale. You will not need to wait for a home inspection, an appraisal, or mortgage approval.
Real estate investors, like the team at PPS House Buyers, have the resources necessary to buy your house quickly allowing you to move on with your life.
Sell Your Houston Home Quickly with PPS House Buyers
There are lots of reasons to make a quick sale. Perhaps you’ve been relocated for work, experienced financial setbacks, are looking to downsize, or have experienced a sudden hardship like a death or illness.
No matter the reason for the sale, PPS House Buyers will pay you a generous cash sum for your house without you needing to think about repairs, staging, commissions, and waiting for the right buyer to come along.
Forget the hassle and sell your house quickly! Let us handle all the paperwork and get you moved with as little stress as possible!
Reach out to PPS House Buyers today to learn more!
