How to Sell Your House Fast

No matter what’s going on with the housing market, selling your house fast is always a top priority. You’ve got places to go, people to see, jobs to start . . .

But more importantly, you want to get as much value from your home sale as possible. The longer a house sits on the market, the more likely you are to get a lower offer or have to reduce your price to attract buyers.

You can find all kinds of advice on how to speed up your home-selling process, but be careful—some of it can be really freaking stupid. We’ll give you the best tips to sell your house fast and for a good price.

How Fast Could You Sell Your House?

The median amount of time for homes to stay on the market—meaning to go from listing to contract—is 62 days.¹ Remember, median means that half of all homes sold faster and half sold slower than that, depending on the location and time of year.

If 62 days is too long to wait in your situation, then getting the jump on packing, tackling home projects, and teaming up with an experienced real estate agent early on can help you sell your home faster. If you work with an incredible agent, your home could sell within a day.

No joke—it can really happen. In certain areas of the country, it’s not uncommon for sellers to receive multiple offers in one weekend!

How to Sell Your House Fast for a Good Price

We talked to Dawn Kirkland, a real estate agent in Birmingham, Alabama, to gather some of the best tips to sell your house fast. Most seller’s agents like her agree on these tried-and-true tricks that will help reduce your home’s time on the market.

1. Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent

The quickest way to sell your house and still make a sweet profit is to work with a real estate agent—one who’s at the top of the industry and has a long history of selling homes like hotcakes. A great agent will know how to:

• Price your home right 
• Stage your home for buyers
• Help you pick the right offer
• Negotiate the best deal 

They’ll also help you time your listing well. For example, fewer buyers shop during winter months—but your agent will watch the market and list your house when buyers are primed and more likely to purchase.

Remember, an experienced real estate agent has been through the home-selling process dozens—if not hundreds—of times. So lean on their experience to help you avoid costly mistakes and sell your home without wasting time.

2. Declutter and Deep Clean

Cleaning your home for showings may be common sense—but don’t underestimate just how spotless it needs to be. We’re talking next-level clean. Scrub everything from ceiling fans and window blinds to baseboards and tile grout. No surface gets a pass!

Pay extra attention to common junk magnets, like:

• Kitchen and bathroom counters
• Fireplace mantels
• Laundry room shelves
• Tabletops
• Magazine racks

This is a great time to clear out your closets too. “If your closet is crowded, I’m going to think my stuff won’t fit,” Dawn says. Buyers want to see space—not stuff. So show them how roomy your home really is.

Once all the clutter’s out of the way, take a step back and look at your space through a buyer’s eyes. Does it feel clean, open and inviting? That’s the goal.

3. Depersonalize Your Home

Buyers need to picture their family living in the space—not yours. So, go ahead and take down the family photos, the kids’ artwork on the fridge, and any other personal items that say “this is our home.” You can swap in neutral artwork or leave walls clean altogether—just don’t forget to patch and paint over any nail holes!

It’s also smart to tone down anything that screams your personal style. That might mean swapping out a bold light fixture for something more classic or painting over a bright accent wall with a neutral tone. Remember, what’s cute and quirky to you might be a total turnoff to someone else. The goal here is to create a blank canvas so buyers can imagine making the house their own.

4. Make Necessary Updates

In the spirit of selling your home fast, take care of things now that will be a problem in the closing process. Yes, it might cost a little up front—but buyers will expect these things to be handled before they sign on the dotted line. Talk to your agent about fixes you’ll need to make, like:

• Plumbing problems
• Roof damage
• Electrical issues
• HVAC glitches

Your agent can also help you spot small updates or projects that will add value in the eye of the buyer—like a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, refinished hardwood floors, or new kitchen hardware.

And don’t forget about the power of curb appeal. The front of your house is the first thing buyers will see in person and online. Make it count. Clean up the landscaping, touch up the front door, and give those garage doors some love. A little effort here can add a lot to your home’s perceived value—and its final price.

5. Stage Your Home

To make the best first impression—and get lots of interest from buyers—go beyond cleaning and decluttering and stage your home to sell.

Home staging is all about showing off your home in its best light. That could mean rearranging your furniture to open up the space, swapping out worn or dated pieces, or sprucing up the porch or patio. When done well, staging highlights your home’s best features and helps buyers see past any flaws.

Start by storing bulky pieces, moving furniture away from the walls, and setting the dining room table. Buyers want to walk into an open, welcoming space that sparks conversation and feels like home.

“If I see that a family can live here, I will think my family can live here too.” — Dawn Kirkland, Alabama real estate agent

Many real estate agents include staging as part of their service. A seasoned agent brings a fresh perspective and can help you reimagine your space in a way that appeals to buyers.

You’ll find even more staging tips and advice in our free Home Sellers Guide.

6. Invest In a Professional Photographer

Once your home is staged, it’s time to bring in a pro to take listing photos. This isn’t the time for dim lighting or janky iPhone shots. In fact, 43% of buyers said their first step in the home-buying process was searching for homes online.² If your photos don’t make a strong first impression, buyers may scroll right past your listing without ever scheduling a tour.

Aim to post at least 30 high-quality photos that show off every room and key feature—inside and out. And don’t forget to include a floor plan! The goal is to help buyers picture the full layout before they even step through the front door.

7. Set the Right Price

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it a thousand more times: Price your house to sell. Price isn’t just a number—it’s part of how buyers perceive your home. And the good news? Your real estate agent can help you get it right.

Overpricing your home will just scare buyers away, leading to more time on the market—and the longer it sits on the market, the more likely you’ll have to drop the price anyway. Save yourself the hassle and price it right from day one.

A smart agent knows how to strike the balance between making you a good profit on the sale and pricing low enough to drum up buyer interest. They’ll also help you set a timeline for price adjustments to make sure selling doesn’t take too long.

In a slower market, your agent may suggest ways to “sweeten the deal”—like covering part of the buyer’s closing costs or including certain appliances in the home sale. The idea is to increase the potential value of your home and motivate buyers to make a move.

What’s the Quickest Way to Sell Your House?

When people focus too much on selling their home fast, they get impatient and make dumb decisions. But a home is your biggest investment—you can’t afford to make mistakes, whether you’re buying or selling.

While these methods will sell your house super fast, you’ll likely miss out on a ton of money, so they usually aren’t it.

Selling As Is

Selling your house as is might sound like a fast and easy win. No repairs. No upgrades. No fuss. You just stick a sign in the yard and say, “Take it or leave it.”

And sure, that can speed things up. But there’s a catch: Most buyers will come in with low offers—because they know they’ll have to cover the cost of any needed fixes. That means you’ll likely walk away with less money in your pocket.

Now, if your home needs major repairs and you’re not in a position to make them, selling as is might make sense. Just know you’re trading profit for convenience.

Bottom line? Don’t rush into this decision. Talk to a trusted real estate agent who can help you understand what you’d give up—and whether it’s worth it in your situation.

For Sale by Owner

Some people might tell you your best chance to sell fast is to sell without an agent—otherwise known as For Sale by Owner (FSBO).

But there’s a catch: Many FSBO sellers (38%) said their main reason for selling without an agent was because they had a buyer they already knew.³ If you don’t have a buyer lined up, you could end up waiting a lot longer to find the right buyer. Plus last year, homes that were sold with the help of an agent went for $55,000 more than FSBO homes.⁴

Even if you subtract agent fees, selling with an agent still puts way more in your pocket than selling by yourself. 

Pricing Your Home Too Low

When you’re in a hurry to sell, it might seem smart to price your home low and grab the first offer that comes in. But here’s the problem: If you price it too low, you’re not just speeding things up—you’re leaving money on the table.

A good starting point is to get a home appraisal or talk to a real estate agent to figure out what your house is actually worth in today’s market. From there, you can set a price that attracts serious buyers and protects your profit.

Because the truth is, pricing your home too far under value won’t just speed up the sale—it’ll shrink your return. And for most people, your house is the biggest financial asset you have. So why shortchange yourself?

A trusted agent can help you hit that sweet spot between selling fast and selling for top dollar—so you don’t sacrifice one for the other.

iBuyers

Instant buyers, or iBuyers, are real estate companies like Opendoor and HomeLight that buy homes from private sellers, then resell them for a profit (Zillow used to be part of that club but got out in 2021).

If you have no idea what we’re talking about, you’re not alone. Less than 1% of sellers use iBuyer programs.⁵ And those few home buyers and sellers who do work with iBuyers are paying the price—literally.

These guys snap up your house at a big discount, then put it back on the market for a lot more. That drives up home prices for other buyers. And since you accepted their lowball offer, you missed out on the full profit from selling your home.

So sure, your home will sell quickly. But it’ll cost you. Not worth it.

Looking to Sell Your House?

If you’re ready to sell and looking to do it fast, you don’t have to go it alone. As we said before, a real estate agent is a great person to have in your corner during the whole process. And you’ll make more money, on average, than doing it yourself. It’s a win-win!

And we’re not talking about just any real estate agent. You’re going to want to work with a RamseyTrusted^® agent. These real estate rock stars operate on a higher level and will treat you with the care and respect you expect—and then some. A true pro knows what buyers in your area want and can help you maximize your home’s appeal without busting your budget.

Find an agent in your area and see what they can do for you!