How to sell your house fast

You do not have to choose between speed and price. A well-run listing can be under contract in ten to fourteen days and closed inside a month. It takes preparation, a real price, and the discipline to not flinch. Here is the playbook.

Week 0: the four-day setup

1. Interview two agents. Pick the one with recent comparable sales in your neighborhood, not the biggest brand.
2. Get a pre-inspection. Fix the small items. Prepare disclosures for the rest.
3. Do the five prep projects from the prep guide. Paint, clean, declutter, curb, one fixture per room.
4. Book professional photography and, if the home is vacant, staging. Both are booked before you list.

Week 1: pricing and launch

Price at market, not aspirational. In a 30-day plan, the goal is a multiple-offer situation in the first weekend. Price 1 to 3 percent under the comps and let the market lift you. Every day past day 14 costs you leverage.

• Coming Soon status Monday through Wednesday. Build a waitlist.
• Active on the MLS Thursday morning. Photos, floor plan, drone shots for larger lots.
• Broker preview Thursday afternoon. Open house Saturday and Sunday.
• Review offers Sunday night or Monday morning. Set a deadline. Do not entertain pre-emptive offers unless they are clean and strong.

Week 2: contract and inspection

The strongest offer is not always the highest number. Weigh financing type, inspection contingency, appraisal gap language, and close timeline. A cash buyer at 495,000 usually beats a financed offer at 505,000 with a 10-day inspection.

Week 3: appraisal and clear-to-close

If the buyer is financing, the appraisal is the one thing that can move the deal. Your agent should present the appraiser a comp package on the day of inspection. Aggressive but standard.

Week 4: close

Sign the docs, hand over the keys, watch the wire hit the account. Movers should have been booked in week 1.

When the 30-day plan is the wrong plan

• The home needs real work you will not do before listing.
• The neighborhood absorption rate is over 60 days and you do not have the runway.
• You cannot show the home reliably (tenants, medical, travel).
• You need certainty more than dollars.

In any of those cases, get a cash offer for comparison. If the gap between the cash bid and the projected listing net is less than the risk of sitting on market for 90 days, cash starts to look like the stronger choice.