Selling your house can be a large feat. When hiring an agent, the process will likely take much longer than a direct sale, and can also end up costing you more in the long run! Keep reading to see how the time it takes to sell will affect you financially.
The Columbia housing market has shifted noticeably over the past couple of years. Homes are no longer flying off the market in a matter of days — inventory has grown, and the average Columbia listing is now spending well over a month on the market before going under contract, compared to the ultra-fast sales of a few years ago. That’s good news if you’re a buyer, but it means sellers need to plan for a longer, less predictable timeline than they may be expecting.
While there is no way to determine how long selling your house will actually take when listing your house with a Columbia agent, you can plan ahead if you choose to sell directly. In our latest post, we will look at how long selling your house will take and the common things that can cause delays.
If You List…
Getting It Ready For The Market
If you decide to list your Columbia house, you will likely need some time to get it ready for the market. You’ll want to clean up, remove personal belongings, make repairs and possibly stage the house for showings. With more homes competing for buyer attention than in recent years, presentation matters more than ever — buyers have options now, and a house that isn’t market-ready can sit even longer.
Finding The Right Agent
Choosing an agent can take some time as well. You aren’t going to want to work with the first agent you meet. Instead, you will likely do some research, talk to friends and family who have recently sold, and speak with a few agents before deciding who to hire.
Waiting For A Buyer
Once the house is listed, you are at the mercy of the market. There is no guarantee you will find a buyer right away or that you will get the price you are asking for. In today’s Columbia market, homes are commonly taking a month or more to go under contract, and a meaningful share of listings sell below the original asking price. Your property could sit on the MLS longer than expected, only to receive offers lower than you had hoped for. You never know how long this part of the process will take, which makes planning ahead difficult — and with more inventory for buyers to choose from, overpriced homes can linger well past the average.
The Inspection Process
Once an offer has been made, your buyer’s lender will require an inspection and appraisal. If it doesn’t appraise for what they are lending, the loan won’t be funded. If there are problems with the property, you will need to either make additional repairs or negotiate the price with your buyers. When pricing your home, be sure to prepare for this step. The value of your home can change greatly once it has been inspected. In a more balanced market, buyers have more leverage to request repairs or credits after inspection, so it’s worth budgeting for some back-and-forth. Some sellers even opt to pay for an inspection themselves before putting the house on the market, to avoid surprises after an offer has been made.
Escrow
The amount of time escrow can take will vary depending on the agreements made between the buyer and the seller. The buyer may ask for repairs before signing off on contingencies, and lenders may take some time to fund the loan. Typically, escrow takes 2-4 weeks or more.
Closing
Once the escrow process is complete, the buyer and seller will need to arrange a mutually agreed-upon date to sign the paperwork. You will meet at the title company, review all paperwork, and finally… sign on the dotted line.
All told, a traditional listing in today’s Columbia market — from prep work to closing — can easily stretch to two to three months or longer, depending on how quickly you find a buyer and how smoothly inspection and financing go.
When You Sell Directly…
Get An Offer
Selling directly to Columbia Cash Home Buyers, LLC starts with a straightforward, no-obligation offer — no waiting on the market, no showings, no guesswork. From there, the decision is entirely yours. Take the time you need to think it over or run the numbers; we’re never going to pressure you into anything.
Sold
Once you accept, closing can happen in a matter of days, not months. Selling to Columbia Cash Home Buyers, LLC means skipping the costs that come with a traditional listing — repairs, agent commissions, closing costs, and more — while knowing exactly when your house will close. In a Columbia market that’s taking longer to move and giving buyers more room to negotiate, a direct sale offers something the open market simply can’t right now: speed and certainty. There are no repairs to make, no agents to hire, and no surprises along the way. Before you commit to listing, see what a direct offer could look like for you — there’s never any obligation.