Want to know how to close on a house quickly?
Selling a home isn’t like flipping a light switch. It typically takes weeks if not months to complete a traditional sale.
…but what if it didn’t have to?
You can close quickly when you know how to avoid common delays and obstacles that typically prolong the closing process.
Let’s dig into why traditional sales take so long, how cash buyers can get you cash offers fast, and situations where speeding up makes the most sense.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Why Traditional Sales Take So Long
- How To Close On A House Quickly
- How Cash Buyers Can Close Quickly
- Mistakes That Can Slow Down Your Sale
- When Speeding Up Makes Sense
Why Traditional Sales Take So Long
Thinking about selling your home recently?
You’ve likely heard stories from others that it takes months to complete a sale.
…and they’d be right.
According to ICE Mortgage Technology, home closings nationally take just over one month after going under contract. That doesn’t even account for listing, showing, and negotiating.
And that’s just the closing process itself.
The truth is…
Selling a home the traditional way involves countless hoops that buyers and sellers need to jump through. There’s buyer financing, inspections, appraisals, title searches, and so much paperwork.
Any delay in these items causes setbacks to closing.
Did you know that mortgage financing is the number one reason offers don’t finalize?
NAR data showed 13% of contracts faced delayed settlements in recent months.
One in TEN offers had funding delays…
Reputable buyers never let you experience that uncertainty. Instead, they have financing (or none at all) lined up to get you cash offers fast.
Then there’s the dreaded negotiation process after inspections.
Buyers always ask for repairs (even when they don’t need any). Appraisals come in low. At that point, it’s anyone’s guess if a deal will close or not.
Deals get rushed. Emotions run high. Guess what happens…
Sales take longer and cost more money.
How To Close On A House Quickly
First things first.
Want to close quickly? Start preparing today.
Sellers who put pen to paper quickly are the ones who have everything in order prior to listing. All relevant property documents, title information, disclosures, etc.
If you’re looking to close within days (versus months), skip the bank altogether.
Connect with cash home buyers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey if you’re in the Northeast. They can make an offer in 24 hours and close in as little as one week.
Ready for the cliffnotes version?
Here’s how to sell your house fast:
- Don’t overprice. Proper pricing gets you multiple offers fast and maximizes your chances of a quick close. Overpricing causes home sellers plenty of problems like slow days on market and lower offers.
- Sell to the right buyer. All buyers are not created equal. Buyers who provide cash offers cut out mortgage delays altogether.
- Leave room for negotiation. Even if your property inspector gives it a clean bill of health, allow room for repairs during negotiation. Doing so shows the buyer you’re serious about closing quickly.
- Hire fast professionals. Your closing attorney or title company can make or break your timeline. Shop around and find professionals who won’t leave you waiting by the phone.
Simple enough, right?
If you take anything away from this article, let it be this:
You don’t speed down the highway by slamming on the brakes.
Approach the sales process with a “close early” mentality and do everything you can to prevent future delays.
How Cash Buyers Can Close Quickly
Okay, so cash buyers are cool and all. But exactly why do they sell houses so fast?
Here’s the secret…
Cash buyers eliminate the number one reason offers fall through.
Financing
No lender = No delays.
When you’re not waiting on third-party lenders to approve your buyer, transactions move significantly faster.
As mentioned above, cash deals can close in one week or less.
Compare that to the average 43-day closing time…
…and you’re instantly cutting your timeline in half.
Not convinced cash buyers close faster?
According to NAR’s latest profile, all-cash home purchases surged to a record 26% of transactions in 2024. That’s up from 23% just one year prior.
Transactions WITHOUT mortgages (meaning cash) now account for OVER A QUARTER of all sales.
Here are just a few reasons why cash buyers can make you an offer fast:
- Don’t have to worry about lender delays
- Fewer contingencies included in offers
- Require significantly less paperwork for closing
- Often willing to work with seller’s timeframe
Makes sense when you think about it.
Cash transactions are by far the easiest type of sale to facilitate. There are fewer hoops for everyone to jump through.
Mistakes That Can Slow Down Your Sale
You might be thinking…
“This all sounds great in theory. But I’m doomed to wait forever because my house needs [insert problem here].”
False.
Sure, every home faces unique challenges. But you can avoid most delays with proper planning.
Here are a few ways sellers kill their chance of a fast closing:
Selling with liens on the title. Don’t make your buyer’s title company do your job. Perform a title search early and clear any liens before going to market.
Being too stubborn during negotiation. A quick closing requires flexibility. As long as everything else in an offer is acceptable, compromise on things like repairs and closing dates.
Not pricing right. Overpricing is the #1 reason why homes take forever to sell. If your house won’t compete with the rest of the market, you’ll sit… and sit… and sit.
Working with impatient agents and buyers. Not all Realtors and investors are cut from the same cloth. Partner with people who have closed deals quickly before.
Sell your house fast? Yes, but only if you’re willing to put in some legwork up front.
When Speeding Up Makes Sense
Needless to say, rushing the sales process doesn’t make sense for every situation.
If you have all the time in the world, by all means list your home traditionally and wait for an offer to come along.
But don’t feel pressured into stretching your sale out unnecessarily either.
Here are scenarios where speeding up is advantageous:
- Relocating for work. You got a new job? Congratulations! But if they start in a few weeks, you better move fast.
- Facing foreclosure. Going through a foreclosure on your credit? Shorten the process and sell now.
- Inherited the home. Managing a home overseas is stressful and expensive. Get rid of it fast.
- Getting divorced. Divorce is tough. Cut your losses and sell before it gets any more complicated.
- Major repairs needed. Traditional buyers won’t touch homes that need significant work. Cash buyers will.
Clearly define why you want to sell. If you need to move fast for financial or life reasons, a traditional sale is going to hurt you.
Bringing it All Back Home
Selling your house FAST isn’t impossible.
The traditional process is slow for a reason. Most buyers and sellers don’t anticipate financing delays, inspection requests, and low appraisal values.
But now you know better.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Traditional sales take a long time because of mortgage approvals and negotiations.
- You can close quickly by preparing everything upfront and selling to the right buyer.
- Cash buyers make you an offer quickly by skipping mortgage delays altogether.
- Being poorly prepared and unrealistic stalls sales unnecessarily.
- If you’re relocating for work, going through foreclosure, or dealing with an inherited property, you’ll want to sell as quickly as possible.
You are in control of how fast you sell.
Taking matters into your own hands is the only way to guarantee your sale doesn’t drag on forever.
