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How Long Does It Take to Sell a House

How Long Does It Take to Sell a House

 

When it comes to selling, one of the homeowners’ biggest concerns is how long the house is going to take to sell. If there was a way to predict how long a house was going to sit on the market before a buyer finally bit, life would be a whole lot easier. And in truth, there are a lot of ways to predict how long it will take a house to sell. Your job as a homeowner looking to sell your house is to do everything in your power to get your property off your hands as quickly as possible, because the longer it sits on the market, the more difficult it will be to sell over time.

 

Why the Rush?

 

home selling process

The longer a house sits on the market, the worse it looks to buyers. Why? Well, consider this — Say you’re in the market for a nice new watch, but you only have money to buy one. You walk into a store and you see two watches for sale that you really like, but know you have to choose between the two. The sales associate tells you that the two watches cost exactly the same, but one of them has been on display for two months, while the other one just arrived in a new shipment. You start wondering… what’s so wrong with the one watch that no one wanted to buy it for two whole months? Even if you like it at first glance, you begin wondering what others might know about this watch that you don’t. You come to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with the old watch, and therefore decide to go with the newer, equally priced watch that you like just the same.

 

This is exactly what happens with homes listed for sale.

 

Your listing information will display how long your house has been on the market, so if you jump the gun and list it before it’s in its best condition, you’ll start racking up that “days on market” number. The more days your home has been sitting, the more suspicious potential buyers will start to get. And once that number climbs, there’s no undoing it. There’s no magical “reset button” for your days on market number, so it’s imperative that you do everything you can to whip your house into selling condition before listing it for sale.

 

How Much Time Does a House Typically Stay on the Market Before Selling?

 

This answer might be disappointing to those who are trying to nail down a specific timeline, but: it depends. There are many factors that go into deciding how long a house will sit on the market before selling. In the United States as a whole, the average days on market (DOM) is 58. However, this will look very different depending on what particular state you live in. For example, the average DOM in Sacramento, CA is 34, while the average in Santa Fe, NM is 80. So clearly, the average selling time is going to vary greatly depending on a number of factors. If you talk to a professional real estate agent, they should be able to give you a general estimate of how your home will perform on the market based on location, market health, home value, etc. If you want to see the average DOM for your area and other data regarding the market in your area, you can check out Realtor.com’s Local Market Trends.

 

Factors to Consider:

 

  1. Price of the house you want to sell. Overpriced houses do not perform well on the market, and there is a strong correlation between price and DOM — the correlation being that too high of price = longer time on market. It may be tempting to price your house above what it’s actually worth in hopes that someone will buy it regardless, but this is extremely risky and usually not worth it in the long run. Ask your real estate agent to appraise your home for you, especially if you did major renovations. This way you can get an idea of the true value of your home from a trained professional. Also, aside from an increasing DOM number, also keep in mind that your house listing can even expire, so it’s definitely in your best interest to have a flexible price tag for your house.
  2. Location of the house. Homes located in metropolitan areas and places with swiftly growing populations are always going to sell faster than those in rural areas that are far from the nearest sizeable city. People are typically looking to live close to all of the amenities offered by big cities. They want to be close to the best schools, where they work, grocery stores, shops, entertainment, etc, so the more conveniently located your house is, the quicker it will sell. So keep in mind if you live off the beaten path a ways, you should expect to have to wait around a little longer than your city slicker counterparts.
  3. The condition of the house. The interior and exterior conditions of your house are obviously going to be a huge factor in the speed at which your house sells. Your house could be newly built, but if it looks like a disaster on the inside then buyers aren’t going to care about whether it’s brand new or decades old, all they’re going to see is an ugly, ill-maintained house. This is why it’s important to make major and minor repairs before listing your home, so that buyers don’t see a shoddy foundation, chipped and dull paint, or torn up carpets when they open the images of the interior. To boost the appeal even more, you can also consider staging your house. Staging basically means dressing up your house the way you want it to be seen by potential buyers. This helps the home look more put together in photographs and for any open houses or showings you host.
  4. Consider the seasonal changes. Across the nation, the summer time is widely regarded as being the best time to sell. There’s rarely a year when summer isn’t a seller’s market. According to Zillow, the first half of May is when sellers nationwide are able to maximize return and get their home sold the quickest. Right before Summer hits is when prospective home buyers and families are looking to get settled into a new property before the new school year starts. Across the country, homes listed for sale in the window of the first half of May sold almost two weeks faster than average, and for $2,500 more, compared to average points in the year. But there are many other factors to consider in determining what time of year is best to list your home. For example, local housing market status, job growth in the area, mortgage rates, tax incentives, etc. Make sure to do some research on the local area to see what the market is like. Just because summer is generally the best time to sell, this is taking the entirety of the United States into account. Depending on where you live, it’s possible that summer could be the worst time to sell in your area, and your house may end up on market through the entire summer, which you definitely don’t want.
  5. The status of the market. The market is either considered a “seller’s market” or a “buyer’s market.” If it’s a seller’s market, this is good news for those trying to sell their house, and excellent for selling your house fast. This usually entails little competition but a high number of potential buyers looking for their dream home. Seller’s markets will put all the power in the hands of the seller, and your days on market will likely be lower than if there was a ton of competition and very little numbers of people looking to buy. Do some research or consult your real estate agent to answer these questions to assess the status of the market: How many competitors do you have? What’s the average price of a comparable home being sold on the market? What’s the average DOM this season? Asking questions like this not only helps you sell, but also educates you how this part of real estate works. Keep in mind that in a buyer’s market, prospective buyers have plenty of options to choose from outside of your property. If the buyer doesn’t absolutely love what you have, they can just pass and find something else. If you’re dealing with a buyer’s market, be aware that you’ll need to be more strategic when it comes to selling your house. Learn from the market and apply techniques from our blog or at the advice of your agent. Keep track of what’s happening in the local market and you will be able to sell your house in no time.

 

No matter how fast you’re able to swing a sale, you’re going to have to employ at least a little bit of patience. They don’t call it a “home selling process” for nothing. But with the right amount of prep work and dedication, your house shouldn’t have to sit on the market for much longer than anticipated.

Vince C. JR
Vince C. JR
21:44 09 Mar 23
I was in a bind and needed to sell my home quick without the hassle of someone trying to get over on me. I was approached by Frankie who works here at "We Buy Any Vegas House" and let me tell you! Frankie was not only understanding of my situation but was always on my side every step of the way. He took what was a very stressful time in my life and made this transaction as painless as it could be. His assistant Tara always got back to me regardless of what time it was and I never felt like I was in the dark. I am forever thankful that Frank reached out me and can't thank him and his team enough!
Liz Raga
Liz Raga
19:19 07 Mar 23
Horrible experience- really not professional and definitely won’t call them again to sell my house. Don’t really believe to their falls promises!
Tammy Hetrick
Tammy Hetrick
23:39 12 Sep 22
Friendly service. Great chips and salsa. We came for the margaritas. We've been here a few times for dinner and always enjoy the food.
David Stanley
David Stanley
23:05 12 Sep 22
Spam company, keeps calling and texting to buy a home that I don't own & won't stop
Mike Straub
Mike Straub
23:33 29 Aug 22
Kip came over & offered to steal my beautiful home for a terribly low price, then made an appointment to come back with his partner a few days later, but didn't show up or even call to let us know he wasn't coming
Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith
22:19 04 Jul 22
An amazing team to do business with! Highly recommend!
Tiare Johnson
Tiare Johnson
15:50 08 Jun 22
I didn’t have to worry about a real estate agent, closing costs, & a lot of things that you have to take care of when you sell a house in a traditional way. I like the fact that it was fast, easy, & everything went great! Jamie is fantastic to work with!
Christopher Jenks
Christopher Jenks
19:38 31 May 22
Very communicative and trustworthy group of professionals. The selling process was transparent and fast. Definitely worth considering...
Karen Wheeler
Karen Wheeler
18:31 22 May 22
Great team to deal with
Kailey Bowman
Kailey Bowman
07:08 22 May 22
Mo F
Mo F
23:51 20 May 22
We had an awesome experience!! Jamie Kirk is amazing and made our experience great!!
Jcbbowman1987
Jcbbowman1987
18:42 20 May 22
The best in the business!
peter maiers
peter maiers
04:13 20 May 22
Easy fast and I trusted them ever step of the way !! great team of people all interested in doing everything correctlyPeter B
Connie Bowman
Connie Bowman
02:38 20 May 22
Fantastic Company!
Britne Salsbury
Britne Salsbury
02:34 20 May 22
Casey and his team and are amazing! They are organized and have great follow up. A really great group of people to work with!
Denise Klein
Denise Klein
01:43 20 May 22
Casey Ryan is an incredible professional when it comes to the needs of sellers that need to sell their homes off market. As a real estate agent I always recommend Casey to anyone looking to work with an off market buyer. He is honest, trustworthy & always looking for win-win solutions for everyone involved! The real estate market is better because of Casey & his company, We Buy Any House
jose moran
jose moran
22:43 19 May 22
Chandler Gentry
Chandler Gentry
21:56 19 May 22
This team is so amazing! Makes everything so easy and super reliable!
Amanda Jones
Amanda Jones
21:30 19 May 22
Alex Moses
Alex Moses
20:09 19 May 22
Best company to work with in the real estate game. ABSOLUTELY BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE IVE EXPERIENCED!!
Kyle Mellies
Kyle Mellies
20:06 19 May 22
Donald Gibson
Donald Gibson
19:41 19 May 22
Great communication and pleasant to work with! Everything went smoothly!
Josh Wathen
Josh Wathen
19:40 19 May 22
The team at We Buy Any Vegas House are extremely thorough and very kind. They go above and beyond to help you through the process. I would highly recommend.
Devin Flynn
Devin Flynn
19:34 19 May 22
Jamie was an absolute rockstar for us! She went above and beyond all our expectations, do not hesitate to go with them!
Andrew Brannick
Andrew Brannick
18:12 19 May 22
Worked with Ryan on the sale of my Vegas property, I thought it was going to be a little difficult being out of town in Arizona. Ryan walked me through the process of selling and was able to get me an offer that was higher than I was expecting. He handled everything for me and made the process easy and really quick which was what exactly what I was looking for! Would 100% recommend for anyone looking to sell their house
Jared Vidales
Jared Vidales
17:50 19 May 22
Great service, great pricing. Sold my mothers house to them, and they handled it with care.
Kathy Hallett
Kathy Hallett
17:49 19 May 22
Jamie immediately helped me feel comfortable and the whole process was quick and hassle free! 5 stars
Melani Kirk
Melani Kirk
17:33 19 May 22
Jake Groves
Jake Groves
16:29 19 May 22
Local to Vegas and they are the best. I spoke to every cash home buyer in Vegas. Most of them just low-balled me over the phone. Ryan met me at the property and made an offer, which turned out to be the highest. He also agreed to close with the difficult hoarding tenant still there. Jamie supported me through the escrow process, she was very responsive to any questions I had and kept me informed during the closing. Less than a 30-day escrow. I spoke to a few of the team members over two months as I was getting other offers and all of them were easy to talk to and patient. They have a great team and make sure you include them in your decision-making.Thanks againJG
Joe Skaggs
Joe Skaggs
16:14 02 May 22
S Holt
S Holt
19:49 27 Apr 22
The first person I met was Allen. He immediately made me feel comfortable and confident in dealing with this company. I'm chronically ill. Allen is the only real estate person I'd let in my home.Throughout the process I ended up dealing with the whole team. Jamie deserves a medal for the hurdles she can overcome. Ryan is great at fixing problems and handling the big stuff, with a whole lot of support from Jamie. Allen was always available for me and checking in. He is great at answering questions in a way you understand and I always felt comfortable talking to him.Here is the actual email I sent the team today: "Hi everybody. Just wanted to thank you all again. I'm already able to do so much more for myself, I feel like a new person. I love my cute little house. I love the cold. It even snowed my 3rd day here. Because I'm able to move around, go outside, see people, clean the house, run errands, etc I'm starting to walk much better and even breathe better. And I haven't even seen a doctor yet. I don't feel like I'm a prisoner in my house anymore. Just wanted to let you know how much of a difference you make."My sale hit a few snags. But I'm the end, everything worked out just as they promised, for the amount they promised. These are great people to trust. (PS… Don't worry if they use O.D. I thought it was a scam of some kind. It wasn't. I just didn't understand).
Anabel Alvarez
Anabel Alvarez
17:05 12 Oct 21
Thank you WBAVH! Charles and Ryan were professional, personable, and patient with our needs and requests. The process was a breeze and they answered all of our questions in detail. They made us feel comfortable and part of their family. Will be recommending to everyone I know!
Steven Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
07:40 18 Aug 21
jerry gallegos
jerry gallegos
16:18 09 Aug 21
Very nice and helpful, responded to any questions very quick. I will do business with them again when I buy my next house.
Christopher Kampshoff
Christopher Kampshoff
00:30 07 Aug 21
Thank you so much guys, my brother was in a tight spot I appreciate you coming through. He's in a much better situation now. Again thank you.
Kelly Brown
Kelly Brown
18:48 27 Jul 21
I attempted to work with Allen, from this company. He seemed very nice and I was curious about what their company would give me for my home, if there were no realtors commissions involved. He said he needed to see the house. He came over and took a bunch of pictures and said he would talk to his partner Ryan, (the numbers guy), and get back with me in a half an hour. I didn’t hear from him that day. The next day I received a text from him, saying he would contact me on Monday. On Monday, he texted to see if I could talk at 12:00? I said, yes, he never called. Tuesday I receive a call from a random realtor telling me that Allen’s company has referred me to him. I call Allen, of course, to ask him what the heck is going on and he says yes, I work with this realtor, but I didn’t give him your information, he pouched it from our website!! I then say, so are you going to work with me and I find out, exactly what I already knew, they couldn’t offer enough money for my house, so they are not going to make an offer, HUGE SURPRISE!! #1, if you want your personal information safe, do not work with this company and #2, if you want a good offer on your home, don’t work with this company. I bought my home 3 years ago, it’s in great condition, in a great zip code and the market is through the roof!! If you can’t buy a house and get close to what someone needs financially right now, I don’t know when you can! Pick another company besides this one!! There are many!! Stay far away from this particular WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH!!! You have been warned!!!
Carolyn Gobel
Carolyn Gobel
18:16 22 Jul 21
This company helped keep us from foreclosure. Thank you!
Carlos Caballero
Carlos Caballero
19:15 23 Jun 21
Thank you guys for your help with my Grandmas home. It was in rough shape and she left so much stuff. We couldn’t have taken on cleaning it out and the project.
jesse phalin
jesse phalin
01:29 18 May 21
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Went above and beyond assisting me through this process. Helped me move my things and even let me leave what I wasn’t taking with me. Thanks for all of the hard work.
Kelly Stewart
Kelly Stewart
21:27 08 May 21
My husband handled the process but felt good dealing with this local company and they did not try to change price after seeing the house. They actually offered higher once they saw our home. Had 5 companies come our to give us bids and they all were bait and switch. They beat everyone’s offers too. We tried to list before and couldn’t sell. I don’t know why anyone would work with head aches of real estate agents and paying commissions, banks, inspectors and the time to close only to walk away with the same money. Thank you Ryan and Jamie.
degan Stewart
degan Stewart
21:23 08 May 21
Thank you guys so much. Jamie is so sweet and on it. Ryan Is one of the most genuine people I’ve met in Vegas. They did what they said they’d do when they said they would and kept us in the loop the whole time
Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins
22:00 04 May 21
Thank you guys so much for everything. Ryan and Jamie Helped me find a place to get out of our old place. It was so nice to have the moving company just handle everything for me.
Sheila Winn
Sheila Winn
19:05 09 Apr 21
I struggled with the idea of selling my house to a "flipper". This company was fair, professional and extremely helpful every step of the way. I never had to wait for a response from Kelly Schnippel when I had a question or concern.I personally would recommend them to anyone looking to get a fair price for their property all the while getting kindness, professionalism and assistance from the buyer.Thank you Kelly Schnippel! I appreciate YOU and your team!Sheila Winn
Valerie Grijalva
Valerie Grijalva
17:30 27 Feb 21
Casey and his team will handle your transaction with the upmost professionalism and class like no other. Their knowledge in real estate will exceed your expectations and you won't be disappointed from beginning to end with their communication and systems to ensure your goals are met. I highly recommend Casey and his team!
Ann Reback
Ann Reback
18:51 25 Feb 21
Thank you for your professional and personal help in this process. You and your team have been so knowledgeable, responsive, courteous and kind...understanding my goals and executing each step in a timely and professional manner! THANK YOU! I will recommend you and your team to friends and others in our community.
Aviv Ben Shimon
Aviv Ben Shimon
16:38 25 Feb 21
Jess Lapensee
Jess Lapensee
16:31 25 Feb 21
From start to finish the selling process was quick and easy!
Lynne M
Lynne M
04:52 24 Jun 20
I have nothing but positive things to say about this company! I needed to sell a house quickly after a death in my family. I spoke with several Cash for Houses Companies in Las Vegas and settled on We Buy Any Vegas House. Everyone was very sensitive about my situation, helpful, answered all my questions and extremely responsive when I called. Ryan and Kelly were awesome!After we settled on a price everything went super smoothly in escrow and again if I had any concerns or questions there was immediate feedback. Also the fact that I was able to do this remotely as I live in California was extremely helpful! I am so grateful for all the help I received during a very challenging time in my life.
Freddy Aleman
Freddy Aleman
18:47 27 Dec 19
My wife and I recently bought a home from Casey Ryan. The home we purchased is located in Centennial Hills. Gorgeous remodel. Casey and his team did a great job of designing the home. We ran into a couple of issues shortly after moving in. Casey had his people out quickly during Christmas week to make a couple of repairs. He gave my wife and I peace of mind during a chaotic holiday week and for that we will always appreciate him. I would recommend a Casey Ryan home to my friends and relatives.
Angela Rienstra
Angela Rienstra
21:06 26 Dec 19
I needed to sell my house from out of state ASAP. I looked into some other larger name companies and was disappointed with their turn-around time and lack of customer service. I'm so grateful to have found Ryan (and Kelly)! They understood my time crunch and moved heaven and earth to buy my house at a fair price and closed by the promised date. They were with me every step of the way and offered world class service! 100% would recommend to anyone!
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