How to Sell a Fixer-Upper House Fast: 10 Shortcuts to an Offer

The process of selling a house can be stressful under the best of circumstances. But when you have a property that is a little rough around the edges — and you need to unload it fast — you might be feeling especially anxious.

The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to invest a lot of time and money into the sale of the house to both sell it quickly and get a fair offer.

“We’ve learned that in order to sell a fix-and-flip property fast, the key is to find the balance between doing too much — spending excessive money or time that we won’t get a return on — and still making the house attractive enough in order to sell fast,” says Richard Latimer, the owner of a home buying business in Huntsville, Alabama, where he helps people improve and sell unwanted or neglected properties.

Here are 10 expert tips that will help you put your home’s best foot forward — and get you on your way to a fast, fair closing.

1. Create a clean canvas

According to Eva Cedillo, an agent in San Joaquin County, California, a deep clean is by far the most important step in fast-tracking a fixer-upper sale. After all, nobody wants to walk into their future home and be greeted by clutter and grime. “Ninety percent of the time, the buyer is going to do a full rehab anyway, so they’re just looking for a clean slate.”