How long does it take to sell a house?

It varies by market, but in most areas homes sell within 30 to 60 days if priced correctly. New construction or luxury homes might take longer, while move-in-ready homes in popular areas can sell within a week.

That depends on your local market and average days. Once a contract is accepted -- its usually 30-45 days until transfer of ownership. We are seeing longer times on the market and it may take 30-90 days to secure a Buyer if your home is desirable in price and features. Talk to your listing agent beforehand -- you can always have input on the contract you accept to have closing date work with your timeline. Good luck!

The time it takes to sell a house can vary depending on pricing, presentation, and market conditions, but in Irvine, the timeline is often faster than in many other areas. Well-prepared homes that are priced correctly and marketed professionally typically go under contract within 1–3 weeks. The first 7–10 days are the most important because this is when your listing gets the highest visibility and attracts the most serious buyers.

Once you accept an offer, the standard escrow period in California typically ranges from 21 to 35 days. During this time, the buyer completes inspections, appraisal, loan approval, and the final walkthrough. Cash buyers may close even faster—sometimes in 7–14 days. If you need more time after closing, a rent-back agreement can give you flexibility.

If a home sits on the market longer than 30 days, it often indicates the need for adjustments—such as upgraded marketing, stronger staging, new photography, or pricing realignment. In a competitive market like the Irvine real estate market, presentation and exposure play a major role in how quickly your home sells.

As top realtors in Irvine, Irene and Ricky Zhang Real Estate Group help sellers plan their full selling timeline—covering pre-listing preparation, marketing rollout, negotiations, and closing—so you can sell your home in Irvine smoothly, confidently, and within a predictable timeframe.

Sydney,

This is a great question and as you have seen before the general answer is that it depends. What you want to know is what is the current absorption rate in your marketplace and once you have that information you can curate a pricing strategy. Concord, MA real estate

Great question, Sydney! Be sure to check out my YouTube channel @livintc, where I share tips and insights for both buyers and sellers navigating the real estate market. Now, to answer your question:

How Long Does it Take to Sell a House?
The timeline for selling a house can vary depending on several factors, such as market conditions, location, and the specifics of the property. However, here’s a general breakdown of the key stages in a typical home sale:

1. Preparing the Home (1-3 Weeks or More):
Before listing your home, you’ll likely spend time making repairs, cleaning, and staging the property. If needed, you may also hire professional photographers for listing photos. The amount of time this takes can vary depending on how much work is required to get the home ready for sale.
2. Time on the Market (Average 30-60 Days):
In a seller’s market, where there are more buyers than homes available, houses can sell much faster—sometimes within a week or two.
In a balanced or buyer’s market, where there are more homes available than buyers, it can take longer—typically around 30 to 60 days for a home to receive an offer.
3. Offer to Closing (30-45 Days):
Once you’ve accepted an offer, it usually takes about 30-45 days to complete the closing process. This includes:
Inspections and appraisals.
Buyer securing financing.
Addressing any contingencies and completing necessary paperwork.
Total Timeframe:
On average, the entire process takes about 2-4 months, from listing your home to closing the sale. This can be longer or shorter depending on the local market, your home’s condition, and how quickly you find a buyer.
Ways to Speed Up the Process:
Price the home correctly: A well-priced home will attract more buyers and potentially sell faster.
Work with a skilled real estate agent: An experienced agent will know how to market your home effectively to attract offers quickly.
Be prepared for negotiations: Being flexible with offers and negotiations can help move the process along.
For more tips on selling homes and navigating the real estate process, visit my YouTube channel @livintc where I cover these topics in detail.

I hope this helps give you a better idea of the timeline! Let me know if you have more questions.

Not one of these other agents asked the most important questions. 1.) Where is your house located. This is important because depending on the location, will have a direct impact on how long your house will stay on the market. 2.) What is the listing price (not your opinion of what your house is worth) going to be. This is probably the most important question, because the more your house is listed for the longer it will stay on the market. $700,000 and up are on the market on average 90 days. $200,000 and down depending on the area there on the market on average 18 days. $200,000 to $700,000 the average days on market is about 45 days. 3.) How fast (bad/need) do you want to move. 4.) What condition is your house in, will it pass inspection, will in need a lot of repairs. 5.) Is the buyer contingent (does buyer have to sell before the purchase can take place on your house) and what are his terms as well. If buyer is contingent then all the above has to be taken into consideration as well. So you see there is more information needed from you to be able to give you an answer. If you would like to sit down and have a listing consultation please give me a call @ (502) 558-5112 my name is Pete Gonatas Realtor with Coldwell Banker McMahan. I would like the opportunity to have you interview me to be your Realtor.

In the current market, we are seeing homes go on the market, receiving offers, doing inspections, and paying "cash" at the closing, all in about 21 days. If the buyer is using a mortgage the timing is about 42 days.