How fast can I sell my house if I'm moving for a job?
With a cash sale, usually 14 to 30 days from a signed contract, and as little as 10 business days if your start date is close. A listed house typically takes longer: time on the market, then a buyer's loan, appraisal and inspection, often 30 to 90 days or more.
The speed comes from removing steps, not rushing them. There is no buyer's lender, no appraisal to wait on, and no repair negotiation. A local title company still does a full title search and handles the closing properly.
How do I avoid paying two housing costs at once?
Line the closing date up with your move. With a direct sale you choose the date: close before you leave and use the money for the new place, or stay until the week you move and close then. Either way you are not paying a mortgage on an empty house for months.
The hidden cost of a slow sale is not just the mortgage. It is the utilities, insurance, taxes, lawn care and the worry about a house nobody is checking on. My page on selling a vacant house covers what happens to an empty house that sits.
Can I sell my house after I've already moved away?
Yes. Leave me a key or a lockbox code, and the title company can send you the documents to sign in front of a notary wherever you are, or arrange an online notarization. You do not need to fly back for the closing.
Ohio allows online notarization by live two-way video with an authorized online notary (ORC 147.60), and mail-away closings are routine. Ask the title company which they prefer for your closing.
Should I take my company's relocation package instead?
If your employer offers a guaranteed buyout or pays agent commissions, read the terms closely and compare. Some programs are generous; others set a low guaranteed price or a long timeline. A written cash offer from me is a useful benchmark either way.
Ask your relocation coordinator what the program pays for, whether it requires listing with a particular agent first, and what happens if the house does not sell in their window. Then compare the money you would actually receive, and when.
What do I leave behind when I move?
Whatever you do not want to take. Moving companies charge by weight, and old furniture, garage clutter and basement shelves are rarely worth paying to move across the country. Take what you want and leave the rest; I handle it after closing.
You also do not need to clean, paint or patch anything. Pack, move, and hand over the keys.
What if the house needs work I don't have time for?
Then do not do it. I buy houses as they are, and the offer already reflects the repairs. A move is not the time to manage a roofer and a plumber from another state.
If the house has bigger problems, see selling a house that needs repairs.
"I told him what I would like to have as a buy price and he said it was too low, and paid me $15,000 more than that number. But he said there is one condition: that I would use that money and prepay for one year for an apartment my sister and I could move to so we didn't have to worry about finding a place to live and pay for it. Greg was an answer to our prayers, he handled every document and everything needed for us to sell. Great guy, great company."
Greg Carpenter is a licensed real estate agent in Ohio. When Deforest Solutions makes you an offer, Greg is buying the house for himself, not as your agent.