Selling your home is a process that can take a variable amount of time to complete. Every property is different, and so every sale is different.
Having a realistic expectation of how long it could take your property to sell will help avoid disappointment.
How long does it take to sell a property?
Before you can begin the selling process, you need to know how much your property is worth in the current market conditions.
Not being realistic about your property's value can lead you to overpricing your property, which means more time spent on the market. Conversely, underpricing means you could miss out on more funds for your next home.
Our local valuers offer free valuations to give you an idea of how much your property could sell for. You can book a free property valuation to find out more.
Alternatively, you can get an instant online valuation right now.
Once you know how much your home is worth, we'll prepare your property listing and get your house on the market. Our marketing services mean your property will look its best when your listing goes live.
It will take some time for your property listing to be seen by the right buyer. For reference, in April it took 62 days on average for a property to secure a buyer.
How long it takes for your home to find the right buyer will vary depending on the property's type, size, and location.
You will receive enquiries from prospective buyers to book viewings, which we will organise for you if you decide to sell with us.
Successful viewings lead to offers to buy and, once you accept an offer you are happy with, you can then move onto the conveyancing process.
Conveyancing involves the exchange of the property's title from yourself to the prospective buyer, transferring ownership to the buyer. You can expect this to take around 12 weeks.
Reeds Rains works with a selection of expert property lawyers, solicitors and conveyancing firms to complete the conveyancing process for you. You can find out more about our conveyancing service for sellers here.
It's worth being mindful that the buyer of your home may need to secure a mortgage from a mortgage lender, which may extend the process by several weeks. Securing a cash buyer who can buy the property upfront would avoid a longer wait.
We estimate that the entire selling process from start to completion date will typically take 3 to 4 months. This is just an estimate, and the actual time to sell your property could vary.
Uncomplicated sales with no onward chains can complete the selling process quicker, but other factors, such as your property being a leasehold, can extend the conveyancing process.
Our local experts will be able to advise you more specifically on how long selling your home will take, given their property expertise and local knowledge.
How to sell your home quickly
We are thorough during the selling process in order to protect yourself and the buyer, so it's better to be patient rather than rush through the process.
That doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to help quicken the process however.
Prepare your home for sale in advance
Your property's online listing will comprise photographs of your property. The more well-presented your home looks on camera, the more appealing it will be to potential buyers.
You can get a head start by tidying and redecorating now to prepare your property for photography later.
If you'd like to find out how to make your home look more attractive to buyers, read our article here.
Sell with a professional estate agent
A trusted estate agent, like Reeds Rains, can make the selling process much easier for you. We'll take care of your property listing and our dedicated sales team will work to secure the right buyer for you at a good price.
We also provide professional marketing and photography to create a striking property listing that will stick out to prospective buyers on the market-leading property portal Rightmove.
We're rated 4.6 stars with over 16,000 reviews and for good reason. Find out why we're so highly rated here.
Sell your home in under 56 days
You can take an alternative route to sell your property quicker: Selling your property by the modern method of auction.
Your property will be listed online for a set amount of time, usually 30 days, during which potential buyers have the opportunity to bid on your home.
At the end of the auction period, your property is reserved for the highest bidder, and they have 56 days to exchange contracts and complete the purchase.
To find out the current market value of your home, book a free property valuation today and our local lettings experts will contact you.
Reeds Rains E-marketing Executive
