Selling Your House Quickly – 7 Real Options

1. Reduce Your Asking Price with the Estate Agent

With over 20 years of speaking to sellers looking for a quicker sale, one pattern comes up time and time again… The lack of serious offers is often due to the price being too high.

It’s an unfortunate truth that estate agents often “over-egg” valuations to win instructions, which can leave properties sitting on the market for much longer than expected.

By and large, if your house or flat isn’t attracting viewings or offers, the market is already giving you feedback. A price adjustment is often the most direct way to engage active buyers and generate the interest you need.

It may feel like a bitter pill to swallow, but many sellers are in the same position.  What’s more, if you’re planning on buying another property, you may well benefit from softer pricing (as others may well be struggling to sell also).

Ultimately, the aim is simple: position your property competitively within its realistic price bracket so it stands out and attracts serious buyers.

But before you drop the price, it’s also worth diving into some local house price research…

The good news is that it’s never been easier to check house price trends in your area for free.

Note that this data do not take into account differences in size and other features of your property.  For instance, if you have recently refurbished, had an extension or your garden is larger than your neighbours, then your house is more likely to be sold at a premium.

But, sometimes it’s still not so easy…

For example, what if you’re finding it hard to get enough sold comparables?  Perhaps other homeowners on your street rarely sell up (meaning it’s hard to track prices)? Or a few years have passed since the last sale, and there are clear signs that the market has changed.

In such cases, start by widening your search to 1/4 mile on Rightmove’s House Price tracker.  You may be able to see similar properties to yours that have sold more recently.  You may need to go wider if your property is in a remote location.

Also, spend some time seeing what other properties are on the market using Rightmove and Zoopla. Remember to check the box: ‘Include Under Offer, Sold STC…’  You can then see how long these properties have been up for sale on the listing itself.

You’ll also get a feel for what’s happening simply by keeping you ear to the ground in the area.  For instance, more FOR SALE than SOLD signs are generally a sign that properties are struggling to find buyers.

Understand Broader Property Market Trends

It’s also important to keep an eye on the broader market patterns to see if general price trends are pointing downwards, upwards or somewhere in between.

Other useful indices we refer to include Nationwide (the data tends to be biased towards the south of England) and Halifax (the data tends to be biased towards the north).

Rightmove’s monthly analysis (which often gets published across mainstream media) is helpful – but it’s based on asking, not sold prices.  All the sales consultants at Property Solvers nonetheless have access to Rightmove Plus, which gives us much deeper market data unavailable in the public domain, alongside listings and trends going back to 1995.

Should you mention to the estate agent that you’re looking for a quick house sale?

It can be worth it.  Some agents have serious buyers on their database who can move quickly and are willing to pay a good price.

Yet be careful not to give away too much information so you can get the best possible outcome.  It’s important to make sure that you’re always in a strong negotiating position.

In short – even if you’re willing to potentially take a reduction on the asking price, it’s best to keep this to yourself.

2. Work With a Different Estate Agent

If you feel your estate agent isn’t proactive enough (and there are no contractual restrictions), it may be time to consider swapping to another firm.

Regardless of when you’ve got your property up for sale, as a bare minimum, a good estate agent will do the following:

• Provide you with solid advice on how to market your property in the best way
• Avoid overpricing your property to win your business
• Ensure your property is well-exposed on the main portals and niche websites
• Explore innovative marketing opportunities through social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, X and even on TikTok and YouTube.  On this note, be wary of agents that say they have “databases” or “waiting lists” of buyers, which can go stale very quickly
• Send you regular updates on the number of online views your property is getting – using Rightmove and Zoopla’s reporting tools, for instance
• Give you instant, unbiased feedback on the viewings
• Keep in touch with you regularly and answer any questions
• Respond to your emails or phone calls in a timely manner (and connect with you on WhatsApp)
• Provide you with information on how your property performing relative to others in the neighbourhood
• Give you honest, constructive advice – backed up by solid data if your property is overpriced;
• Not partaking in estate agency tricks.  Examples include showing around ‘window shoppers’, lying about the real interest in your property to keep you on board, not checking buyer credentials.

We generally do not recommend having two estate agents marketing one property as it can give the wrong signals to prospective buyers.  Some would go as far as to say that you could look a little ‘desperate’.

3. Auction House Sale

Auctions are a great (and very common) way to sell your property quickly.

The majority of buyers are either professional investors, small builders and people looking for ‘fixer-uppers’ (i.e. properties in need of extensive refurbishment works).

When using a traditional auctioneer, the key benefit is that once the hammer falls, contracts are exchanged, and the buyer must immediately pay a deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price).

The buyer is then under a legal obligation to complete – most commonly within 28 days – or he/she will lose the deposit.  There are also abortive legal charges and penalties due to the auctioneer.

Below are some other notable advantages:

• You’re likely to be dealing with more serious, professional buyers who know what they want  This means that you should be able to sell regardless of any legal or physical issues with the property
• The good auction houses are regularly attended by professional buyers.  The reputable operators should also have a database of active investors interested who may make “pre-auction” offers and get the process moving quicker
• If you’re selling a tenanted property, auction buyers are more likely to be interested.  Landlord buyers are also used to dealing with issues like voids, rental arrears etc. (although they’ll probably look for a lower price)
• Assuming your house sells in the auction room or on the online platform, you can rest assured that things will happen.  Buyers have too much to lose if they don’t complete on the sale
• Sometimes seen with estate agency sales, buyers cannot suddenly drop the price at the eleventh hour (known as “gazundering“).

However, it’s worth taking note of some of the downsides:

• Auction sales are not as fast as you may think and can often take 3 or 4 months.  This is because auction houses need to market your property before the auction day to attract a decent amount of potential buyers.  Then, once the sale is secured (i.e. the hammer falls), you’ll have to wait 28 days for completion
• If you have debts to pay off or need to stop repossession, the time it takes for things to go through may not be enough
• Auction buyers will still want to see the property before they decide if they’re going to bid on the day.  You therefore won’t be able to avoid a fairly constant stream of viewings, open days, surveys/valuations etc.
• Your legal (conveyancing) fees may be as solicitors need to produce the legal pack and deal with pre-auction enquiries
• There can be conflicts over what the ‘reserve’ price should be.  If it’s too high, you’re at risk of it not selling and having to drop the price
• In the same vein, auction houses sometimes play the same games as estate agents and overprice properties to win instructions.  Make sure you avoid this trickery so as not end up back at square one.

4. Use a “Sell House Fast” or “We Buy Any Home” Company

Today, firms like Property Solvers are widely considered as a legitimate way to get a quick house sale.

Our service is certainly not a “last resort” option.  Contrary to popular belief, many of our own clients are far from “desperate” or in vulnerable situations and simply want to avoid the hassles of an open market sale.

What’s more, most sell house fast firms these days will cover your legal fees.  As it’s a private and direct sale, you also won’t have to pay any kind of estate agency commission.

Would You Have to Sell Your House Below Market Value?

The trade-off when using firms like ours is that the offers typically lie at approximately 70% and 75% of the market value.

While this may seem like an unfair amount of money to lose from your home’s value, it’s worth observing the following:

• The decent quick house sale firms will explore the options outlined above before highlighting how their own services work.  We often find there’s a very simple solution, meaning a fast sale isn’t necessary;
• Sales are exchanged and completed in 7-28 days – much faster than all of the options highlighted in this post;
• Fast sale companies like ours won’t play games or tricks like dropping the price at the last minute.  In essence, what we pay is what we say;
• We’ll buy properties in any physical condition;
• Issues like restrictive covenants, negative easements and other third party consents are problems that we’ll deal with ourselves after the purchase;
• Firms like ours take on a number of risks when buying in such short timeframes which need to be factored into the price;
• Similarly, we’ll buy tenanted properties with disruptive tenants, voids or in major disrepair;
• You’ll save on a number of ongoing costs from mortgage payments, household bills and other debts you can’t clear.

5. Selling to a Private Investor (Discreetly)

Another route that some sellers explore is selling directly to a private property investor, trader or developer.

Sellers are often approached by property sourcers who have typically built qualified lists of active buyers.  Other times, property buying companies themselves match opportunities that don’t fit within their own criteria with private investor networks.

Unlike a traditional estate agency sale, the property is classed as “off market” – i.e. it doesn’t appear on the likes of Rightmove, Zoopla or any of the public portals.

The property then gets circulated quietly amongst professionals who are comfortable assessing opportunities quickly. As a result, negotiations can move faster and the overall process is more straightforward than a typical open or “on” market sale.

Some of the potential advantages include:

• You avoid large numbers of viewings and public marketing.
• Discussions tend to take place with serious, cash ready buyers who understand the process.
• Investors are often willing to purchase properties that need refurbishment or have complications.
• Sales can sometimes progress faster as investors are often chain-free.
• It’s more possible to agree on terms, timescales and conditions based on your specific situation.

However, there are also some downsides worth keeping in mind:

• Private investor buyers will almost always expect to purchase the property below full market value.  Offer prices do tend to be higher than “we buy any home” companies (as investors do not have the same overheads).
• Be careful that your property doesn’t get circulated and published across various investor portals and online communities (effectively making it an open market sale).
• It is also important to ensure that you are dealing with a credible investor who can demonstrate proof of funds (typically via a redacted bank statement or letter from a solicitor).
• Make sure the investor can perform and will not mess you around.  Here at Property Solvers, we always take a non-refundable holding deposit into a separate Client Account.  Alternatively, deposit funds can be held in escrow with a solicitor.
• Ensure that the deadlines will genuinely be met (with clear clauses and penalties if promises are not met)

6. Assisted Sale

An assisted sale arrangement typically works if your property would benefit from improvements and/or refurbishment before being sold.

In this structure, a property company works with you to prepare the property for sale. This may involve helping to fund or organise refurbishment works, clearance, decoration or general improvements that make the property more attractive to buyers.

Here at Property Solvers, we can also cover ongoing mortgage payments, council tax and utility bills.

The goal is to increase the eventual sale price by presenting the property in a better condition.

The costs are then recovered from the final sale proceeds once the property is sold on the open market.  For the arrangement to be worthwhile, the investor will also take an agreed share of the uplift in value – effectively creating a joint venture (business partnership).

Some of the potential benefits include:

• The enhanced presentation can widen the buyer pool and increase your chances of getting more from the property (relative to selling “as is”)
• Provided you work with someone trustworthy, you will not have to do any work yourself or be actively involved in any kind of project management
• You have more control over the property sale, rather than feeling pressured to sell quickly
• You get more breathing space while the property is being prepared, particularly if your ongoing homeownership costs are covered
• The investor has a clear incentive to get the most value out of the property, as their profit margin.

Of course, there are also factors (and potential downsides) to consider.

• Assisted sales take longer than a direct sale, as the works must be completed before the property can be marketed properly
• You’ll need to work with an investor you can trust, as they will control the property and take responsibility for delivering the project through to completion.
• The financials need to be understood carefully to ensure that you’re not left in the lurch
• Given that refurbishment costs have risen considerably in recent years, it’s important to understand how they (alongside sensible contingencies) will affect your final sale proceeds
• You’ll need to be prepared to hand over day-to-day control of the property (alongside any input into the project’s execution).

7. Selling with Vendor Finance

Whilst vendor finance is more commonly used commercial property transactions, more residential sellers are warming to the idea of structuring a “win win” deal that – in certain scenarios – can work out better than an outright sale.

Under this arrangement, the seller agrees to finance part of the purchase price for the buyer.

Rather than relying entirely on a mortgage / bridging finance or cash, the buyer pays a portion up front, with the remaining balance repaid to the seller over an agreed period or as a lump sum in the future. This is often structured with interest and, in some cases, can include a pre-agreed share of any future uplift in value.

Some of the advantages include:

• The ability to generate an extra income stream without any of the day-to-day involvement in managing the property.
• You may be able to achieve a higher overall sales price, relative to a discounted cash or auction offer.
• There may be tax planning advantages – particularly around how income is received over time and potential inheritance tax structuring. However, tax is often still calculated on the full sale value upfront, so it’s important to seek professional advice.
• Potentially works well for unmortgageable and non-standard construction properties.
• The terms of the deal can be structured more flexibly to suit both parties.

However, vendor finance does involve additional complexity.

Similar to assisted sales, any legal agreements need to be carefully structured.  You are effectively taking the role of the lender and there is always some risk if the buyer fails to keep up with repayments.

Because of the complexity involved, vendor finance tends to be better suited to investment, portfolio sales or development transactions rather than standard residential house sales.

Options to Sell Your House Quickly – Summary Table

Talk to Property Solvers

Where needed, our guaranteed cash buying process means you can sell your house quickly (in as little as 7 days).

There are also no legal, estate agency or other associated fees to pay.

We take on properties in any condition and can help in a range of different sales situations.  Please click on any of the boxes below to find out more:

After our initial investigations, we will come back to you shortly after with a no-obligation offer.  At this point, we can also show proof of funds to demonstrate our commitment to purchase.

If you accept the price, we can visit within 24 hours (or less where required).  With your permission, this may coincide with a professional survey.

We will run through how the service operates and confirm that you are completely happy to move forward.

We will not force you to sign any kind of option or ‘tie-in’ agreement.

Once you are absolutely sure, we follow very similar conveyancing procedures as if you were selling through an estate agent.

The main difference is that we are cash buyers, so we do not have to deal with mortgage applications or many other common delays.

We can exchange contracts in as little as 24 hours, with completion in the following 7 days.

Furthermore, our legal team has extensive experience in dealing with fast property sales.

Please complete our enquiry form, chat with us (at the bottom right of this website) or call us 24/7 on freephone 0800 044 3696.

We would be more than happy to provide you with a free valuation and run through the various options (with no obligation).

We also do auctions