Life moves fast, and real estate moves slow. If you’re thinking “I need to sell my house fast” but haven’t found a buyer, try Ben Buys Indy Houses.
Selling your home through traditional methods can take months or even years. When you’re in a hurry, don’t contact a real estate agent – contact a real estate investor. Investors can help you sell your house within weeks or even days of reaching out. Investors usually deal in cash and will help you get through the process so you can move on with your life.
The cash-buying process usually takes less than a month, but some sales happen in a single day. Follow these steps to sell your house immediately.
Step One: Get Your Documents Together
You can’t sell a home without a title to prove that you own it. Crack open your filing cabinet and get your necessary documents ready to go. The buyer is going to ask to see:
- The title to your home
- The deed from when you purchased the home
- Mortgage and loan paperwork
- The amount remaining on your mortgage
- The results of any appraisals and inspections you’ve had done since you purchased the home
- Homeowners association documents
- Tax records that may be related to the home
- Manuals and information for any appliances in the home
Don’t worry if you’re missing some of the paperwork on this list. The most important documents are the title, the deed, and the mortgage paperwork. These items will confirm that you own the house and have the right to sell it; everything else can usually be found by contacting the right person.
Step Two: Prepare Your Home for Sale
Many home sale guides recommend cleaning your house and completing repairs before you list your home for sale. If you have time, this is excellent advice. But if you need to move out immediately, you shouldn’t waste time or money on repairs. Cash buyers will often purchase homes as-is; these investors are prepared to finish repairs after you’ve moved out.
With that in mind, there are still plenty of ways you can make your house more attractive for sale in a hurry.
Start by packing up possessions and moving them into storage. An empty space lets the buyer see themselves in the home. It also makes it easy for a licensed home inspector to review the property.
You don’t have to pack up everything right away, but make sure all clutter and junk have been removed. Take paintings off the walls, box up decorative possessions, and prepare the house as if you were about to move out.
Next, make sure the house is fairly clean. The investor will be happy to handle major jobs like steam cleaning carpets or repainting faded walls. You should spend your time sweeping, vacuuming, and generally making the space more presentable. You can complete these tasks in between the other steps of the selling process.
Step Three: Contact a Buyer
Get ahold of your buyer as soon as you have the needed documents and are confident in the state of your house. Ben Buys Indy Houses will make an offer on any house in any condition, so don’t worry if you haven’t had time to finish packing.
When you call your real estate investor, say, “I need to sell my house fast.” Let them know the date by which you absolutely have to move out. The buyer will immediately begin their end of the process; this includes contacting an inspector and an escrow agent, drafting a contract, reviewing your home, making an offer, and closing the deal.
Make sure you respond to the buyer’s requests promptly. When a real estate investor goes out of their way to expedite your sale, you should return calls and provide documents immediately to keep the process moving.
Step Four: Speak With a Title Company
Your real estate investor is likely already in touch with a title company. Title companies perform a title search and determine that your ownership of the home is legitimate. If another person has partial ownership, this will come up in the search. The title company will also check for any debts that may be preventing you from making a sale.
Most title companies also work as escrow agents. They will verify the real estate investor’s funds and hold the money in escrow. Money in escrow can only be used to settle the sale; this includes repaying your mortgage and paying fees to the associated professionals. The remainder will be paid to you after the sale is complete.
Even if your real estate agent offers to handle this process for you, ask to speak to the title company yourself. Once the company verifies the buyer’s funds, you will know that the sale is legitimate.
Step Five: Be Available for Inspection
Most sale contracts have a home inspection contingency. This means that if the house does not meet an inspection, the buyer can back out of the deal.
When a home needs to be sold immediately, the buyer will contact an inspector and ask them to get out to the site as soon as possible. Quick sales rely on everyone making room in their schedule. Don’t miss this appointment; it’s the most important part of the selling process.
Cooperate with the inspector and provide them with any documents or information that they ask for. They may ask about the age of your appliances, needed repairs, or work that you’ve done on the house. If you have this information ready in advance, you will save everyone a significant amount of time.
Step Six: Contact Your Lender
While the buyer is completing their end of the paperwork, reach out to your bank or mortgage lender. This is especially important if you’re going through a foreclosure.
Make sure you know the exact amount that remains on your mortgage and that there are no liens on your house. The buyer may have questions that your bank can answer. Check to see if you have any contract stipulations that you need to be aware of.
Don’t forget to get a phone number for the bank representative that you’ve been working with. You can save time if you don’t have to re-explain your situation when you have another question.
Step Seven: Move Out of Your Home
Once the buyer has given you a confident statement of sale, start the moving process. The moment the sale is closed, and you hand over the keys, this will not be your house anymore.
Talk to your moving company about storage options for your furniture and large possessions. If you’re moving to another city, you can usually rent a storage unit near where your new home will be.
Because many real estate investors are willing to purchase a property as-is, you can ask them to help you get rid of junk and old items. This is particularly useful if you need to leave in a hurry or if you’re selling a home out of state.
Step Eight: Close the Deal
Every sale has closing costs. The real estate investor will arrange a date and time to finalize the purchase.
You will need to sign several documents at the closing. These include a settling statement, a certificate of title that verifies your ownership, a title deed that shows the transfer of ownership, and a loan repayment statement that settles your existing mortgage. You will also sign a bill of sale that negotiates any additional items in the deal.
The speed at which you sell your home is dependent on the state of the house, the interest of the buyer, and your availability during the process. When you say “I need to sell my house fast,” you should be ready to move quickly. Answer phone calls and get the contact information for all related parties. You’ll be moved out and on the road faster than you think.
