How long does it take to sell a home? We explain the average selling time and where the process is fastest.
How long does it take to sell an apartment
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How long does it take to sell a property? The answer to this question depends on several circumstances, although closing a transaction always takes time, no matter how attractive the house is.

According to idealista data, 13% of the homes sold through this real estate portal during the first quarter of 2024 had not even been on the market a week. Meanwhile, 13% took more than a year to sell, but what do these figures depend on?

How long does it take to sell a flat?

The speed at which a property sells depends on several factors: price, location, condition, how much effort you put into it, etc.

According to idealista data for the first quarter of 2024, 13% of properties sold in less than a week, 21% between a week and a month, 22% between one and three months, 31% between three months and a year and only 13% took more than a year to sell.

The average time to sell a house in Spain

The provincial capitals are where most transactions tend to take place. The highest percentage of express sales is in Granada, where 23% of homes were sold in less than seven days. It is followed by Tarragona (20%), Barcelona (19%), Valencia (19%), Avila (18%), Huesca and Madrid (17% in both cases). Next come Santander and Huelva (16%), followed by Pontevedra, Vitoria, Albacete, Pamplona, Burgos and Seville, which share a rate of 15%.

At the other end of the scale, Lugo has the fewest house sales in a week or less, with 1%, followed by Ceuta, Palencia and Teruel (4%). Next are Ciudad Real and Castellón de la Plana (5%) and Cadiz (6%).

How long does it take to sell a house in Madrid?

Madrid is one of Spain's biggest real estate markets and tops the list of cities with the highest volume of transactions. In 2024, 17% of homes in the Spanish capital were sold in less than a week, 27% between a week and a month, 24% between one and three months, 25% take between three months and a year and 7% take more than a year.

How long does it take on average to sell a house in Barcelona?

According to idealista data for the first quarter of 2024, 19% of flats in Barcelona sold in less than a week, 27% between a week and a month, 21% within one to three months, 24% take between three months and a year and 8% take more than a year.

Tricks to sell a flat faster
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How long does it take to sell a house in Malaga?

In 2024, 13% of homes in Malaga sold in one week, 30% took from one week to one month, 26% from one month to three months, 26% from three months to one year and only 5% of homes were sold in more than one year.

How long does it take to sell a flat in Oviedo?

According to idealista data, 10% of the houses in Oviedo sold in less than a week, 16% took between a week and a month, 17% took between one and three months, and 34% took between three months and a year. Twenty-three per cent take more than a year to sell.

How long does it take to sell a flat in Valencia?

According to the latest idealista report, 19% of homes in Valencia city sold in less than a week, 28% from one week to one month, 20% from one to three months, 27% from three months to one year and only 6% of homes spend more than a year on the market until they are finally sold.

Tricks to sell a house quickly

If you're wondering, "What can I do to sell my house fast?", here are some tips and practices that will ensure you do just that:

Plan a sales strategy

Planning a good strategy is key to speeding up selling your house. To do this, you can get yourself involved or leave it in the hands of an estate agent. 

If you go for the first option, you will have to pull out all the stops and dedicate all your time and resources to this demanding task. If, on the other hand, you decide to sell your house with an estate agency, you will probably increase your chances of selling in a shorter time because the agencies will be able to invest more time, effort and resources in the process. 

If you want to sell your home in the blink of an eye, idealista provides you with the most suitable real estate agents to sell your home.

Set an attractive selling price

No doubt, price is one of the main factors that come into play for a buyer and, therefore, in the speed with which a property is sold. Setting a value in line with the flat's characteristics (location, condition, market behaviour, etc.) will make the house more attractive.

You can use idealista's free tool to help you set a price for your home, which offers you a property valuation.

Upload your home to the idealista real estate portal

idealista is the largest real estate portal in Spain. According to SimilarWeb data, in April 2024 the portal had more than 58 million views, well above its competitors. If you want your flat to reach all possible buyers, you cannot omit this step.

Moreover, the real estate agency that accompanies you in the process will be in charge of managing all the property viewings and, thus, selling the property in record time

Create an attractive listing

Creating a unique listing requires a full property description, highlighting all relevant information and its most attractive features. The photographs should be eye-catching, good quality, well-lit, etc., as they must showcase your home. It's also important that the property looks tidy, as it will make it feel more spacious.

Tips to help make your listing more attractive

Use Home Staging

Home Staging is a technique that involves arranging and decorating a property to speed up selling it. Normally, it does not require a big investment and through a series of small actions (decorating, changing colours, cleaning, good smell, etc.) the flat is made much more attractive. idealista has a tool that allows you to virtually decorate properties to create more attractive listings.