Need to sell your house fast in Virginia?

Competitive cash offers: There’s no need to sort through dozens of We Buy Houses Virginia websites. Our team of experts understands the local market, and we work with one of the largest cash buyer networks in the nation to ensure you get the best offer possible through HomeLight’s Simple Sale Virginia platform.

No repairs or roadblocks: We specialize in helping Virginia sellers move quickly, even if a house needs repairs or you’re going through a difficult situation such as divorce, death in the family, or financial troubles.

Simple and fast: Get the cash you need to move on to your next chapter without the stress of showings, negotiations, or waiting months to close.

How it worksExploring your options is free and easy

Step 1 Tell us about your home

Step 2 We find you the best offer

Step 3 You accept and decide when to move

TestimonialsTake their word for it

Kevin R.
Saint Augustine, FL

HomeLight was a home run for us. We tried using HomeLight to see about getting a cash offer in a quickly changing market. 3 weeks later the house was sold and we were able to move without the worry of two house payments. HomeLight was a success for our family.

Karen S.
Olive Branch, MS

Thanks to HomeLight I was able to sell my home quickly and without any hassle. I was very skeptical at first because of all the many we buy houses for cash that are out there nowadays, but I am thankful that I decided to give them a try. I didn't need to do any repairs and we closed on my timeline. This was the absolute best decision that I could have made.

Lynna L.
Dallas, TX

The experience of selling our home with HomeLight was amazing. We were facing getting the house ready to show and the staging that's necessary in today's market. I filled out a form on Facebook, which offered to tell us what our house was worth, and we received a call from HomeLight. They explained their process and set up an appointment time to come take pictures. Within a day or so, we received a cash offer from HomeLight AS IS. We decided to accept and were thrilled with the experience.

Muriel E.
Grand Prairie, TX

I needed to move my mother into assisted living and sell her old house. Since I needed to sell quickly, I opted for cash offers. HomeLight connected me with a few reputable investors. I received a very fair offer to sell and close in 30 days, which was perfect. We went from having an old home in need of constant repair to having a pool of cash to help care for my mom. HomeLight gave me the confidence to know I was dealing with reputable investors, which was huge.

Julia G
Virginia Beach,VA,USA

We really benefited from using a HomeLight suggested agent.

How to Sell My House Fast in Virginia: Cash Offer Options

When life takes an unexpected turn, you might find yourself grappling with the pressing question: “How can I sell my Virginia house fast?” This urgency can stem from sudden life changes such as job loss or divorce, or the need to relocate for medical or emotional health. But when the clock is ticking, navigating the Virginia real estate market can seem daunting.

In this guide, we simplify your path to a rapid home sale in Virginia, presenting you with your two optimal choices: requesting a cash offer or partnering with a top local real estate agent. We’ll review the pros and cons of selling to a house-buying company, and share expert tips to help you make an informed decision about your home sale.

Need to Sell Your House Fast in Virginia?

Get an all-cash, no-obligation offer through HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform whenever you’re ready. Receive your offer in 24 hours and close in as few as 10 days. No showings, no repairs, no open houses. Available to sellers in Virginia.

Option 1: Sell your Virginia house fast for cash

Selling your Virginia house to a cash buyer allows you to bypass the traditional real estate process, such as inspections and repairs, home prep, and staging, and can significantly accelerate your home sale.

HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform connects you to the largest network of cash buyers in the U.S., including trusted buyers in Virginia. We use the information you provide about your home, along with local neighborhood transaction data, to get you a convenient, no-obligation cash offer in 24 hours. If you accept the offer, you can close in as few as 10 days.

Here are the three easy steps in the Simple Sale process:

HomeLight was founded in 2012 and is BBB accredited with an A+ rating. The company has 4.8 stars on Google based on hundreds of user reviews.

Who else will buy your Virginia house for cash?

You can also find other cash buyers in Virginia, such as house flippers, iBuyers, and investors, who will buy a house for cash. Here are examples of these businesses, the types of homes they look to purchase, and their process.

  • House flippers: House flippers buy homes with good bones in dire need of repair to remodel and resell as turnkey for a maximum profit. Flippers typically make offers well below market value to account for the cost of needed repairs.
  • iBuyers: iBuyers use a proprietary algorithm that compares many data sets, including price history, lot acreage, a home’s square footage, tax valuation history, and other data points to determine the home’s automated valuation model (AVM). While historically offering more than flippers, iBuyers typically charge sellers a fee between 5% to 6%.
  • Buy-and-hold investors: Buy-and-hold investors buy houses as long-term investments, often converting properties into rental units to build equity.
  • Franchising/homebuying companies: These investors will buy your house as-is for cash, then renovate and sell them as turnkey homes for a significant profit. Like flippers, these investors offer sellers below market value.

Cash house buyers in Virginia

Virginia house-buying companies, also known as We Buy Houses companies, typically buy houses in need of repairs. Most of these companies will conduct a walkthrough within 48-72 hours, pay cash, and strive to close the sale in around seven to 10 days. In more urgent cases, some Virginia cash buyers can close in as little as three days.

Here are examples of some of the top house-buying companies in Virginia.

Company name Contact About Closing costs*
HomeVestors / We Buy Ugly Houses® Webuyuglyhouses.com

866-200-6475

Largest professional house-buying franchise in the U.S. None
Simple Sale (a HomeLight platform) Homelight.com/simple

844-488-8455

Connects you to the largest network of cash buyers in the U.S., including trusted buyers throughout Virginia None
We Buy Houses Webuyhouses.com

877-932-8946

Provides unified branding, marketing materials, and systems to professional investors nationwide None
Express Homebuyers ExpressHomebuyers.com

866-990-8448

Virginia-based company has purchased over 4,000 homes since beginning operations in 2003; available in many states None
4 Brothers Buy Houses 4brothersbuyhouses.com

202-601-4928

Founded by four brothers (for real) and works with homeowners in the D.C. suburbs None
Advantage Homebuyers of America Sevendaystosold.com

757-644-1313

Family-owned business based in Virginia Beach; has bought over 700 homes in 20 years None

*Service plans can change. Check the company’s website for current fees and costs.

Pros and cons of selling your Virginia house for cash

The experience of selling a house for cash in Virginia can vary from company to company. However, most owners encounter these benefits and drawbacks when selling their home to companies for cash.

Pros

  • Fast closing: A cash sale in Virginia is significantly faster than a traditional mortgage-backed home purchase, often allowing you to close in as few as three to 10 days.
  • No repairs needed: You can sell your Virginia home as-is, in most cases, with no repairs or renovations.
  • No fees or commissions: Many cash buyers will cover closing costs and fees.
  • No showings or open houses: You won’t have to stage your Virginia home for listing photos or prepare the property for showings or open houses.
  • No obligation until you commit: After you receive a no-obligation offer, you can compare it to other offers. You can even consult a Virginia Realtor® for comparisons.
  • Step away from a problem: With a fast cash sale, you can often avoid dealing with problem tenants or potential foreclosure.
  • No contingencies: Cash buyers can waive contingencies that can make negotiations difficult, namely the financing contingency and appraisal contingency.
  • No negotiating: You won’t have to deal with multiple buyers or the pressure of back-and-forth negotiating on price, credits, or repairs.
  • Move on with life: If you inherited a Virginia home, are facing divorce, dealing with a death, or having financial challenges, a cash sale can help you move on from the home and possibly resolve some issues faster.

Cons

  • Lower sale price: Cash sales typically result in a lower selling price than a traditional sale with the help of a qualified real estate agent.
  • Repairs cost may be deducted: If the home does need major repairs, the cost of those may be deducted from the offer, depending on the cash buyer.
  • May be harder to find a buyer: Depending on the condition or location of your Virginia home, you may have limited cash buyer options, especially if you have a unique property that will be harder for investors to flip.
  • You’ll need to vet companies: It’s important to do research on “we buy houses for cash” companies in Virginia to make sure they are legitimate and reputable.
  • Transparency may be limited: Some cash buyers won’t share their home evaluation process or how they calculated their offer, which is sometimes reduced last minute.
  • Hidden fees: As you vet cash buyers, watch for hidden or unexpected fees. Read your purchase contract carefully before signing.

Option 2: Hire a top Virginia real estate agent

Working with a top agent in Virginia can be a good option for sellers who would like to sell faster than average but who have some time to devote to a traditional sale vs. an instant cash offer. Top agents who know the local area can add value in the following ways:

HomeLight data shows that top Virginia agents sell homes faster than most agents, and the top 5% of agents sell homes for up to 10% more than average agents. Working with a top agent can lead to a speedy sale for top dollar to help you move past a divorce, sell a loved one’s estate, or get out of debt.

How fast homes are homes selling in Virginia?

In Virginia, the current statewide median days on market (DOM) for a listed home is around 7 days. The DOM represents the time from listing to a signed contract. In addition to the contract period, many sellers must also take into account the time until closing, which averages an additional 43 days a buyer needs to close on a purchase loan.

While these DOM estimates represent statewide medians, local market conditions can determine how quickly or slowly your house sells in Virginia.

According to the Virginia Assocation of Realtors, home sales activity began to pick up again in April 2024, with 14% more homes sold than the same period last year. The Shenandoah Valley, Roanoke Valley, and Winchester regions have shown the strongest growth in activity. However, sales prices have also been on the rise, with a 6.5% increase from last year, while the number of new active listings has increased for five consecutive months. Days on market remains low, at an average of just seven days.

“Most homes that are in good shape and priced right are getting multiple offers and selling over the weekend,” says Walter Grewe, a top agent in the Roanoke market with 18 years of experience.

Virginia real estate conditions and trends

Here is a snapshot of current real estate conditions in Virginia

As of April 2024
Days on market (average time from list to contract) 7 days*
Median home sale price $416,548
Number of new listings 19% from last year
Number of closed home sales 14% from last year
Supply of inventory 1.8 months
Population growth year over year* +0.42%

*Does not include the typical 43 days a buyer needs to close on a purchase loan. Data source(s): Virginia Realtors, World Population Review

10 strategies to sell a house fast in Virginia

Top-performing Virginia agents have an arsenal of successful strategies that attract buyers and make homes sell faster.

1. Set your price competitively

An experienced top agent will perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) to help you set the best price to sell a house fast in your Virginia market. Performing a CMA allows you to “look at the trend of where pricing is going in the neighborhood,” Grewe explains.

It’s important for your home’s price to reflect what other homes in the neighborhood have recently sold for because most buyers “have already started to do their research online before they ever end up working with any Realtor,” he notes. They have access to real estate websites and even the county tax office’s website, so they can see what other homes in the neighborhood have sold for.

Buyers who have done their homework “already have a ballpark figure in their head” of what homes in the neighborhood sell for, and if your home is wildly overpriced, people touring your house will know, Grewe says.

Additionally, people have an expectation of how the finishes and appliances in a $400,000 house differ from those in a $300,000 home. If you’re asking $400,000 for a home that’s worth closer to $300,000, the people who tour it will be disappointed and leave. When you overprice the house, you’re setting the wrong expectations, “you’re getting people in there who are not going to buy that house, and they’re just walking away,” Grewe explains.

Pricing the home correctly from the start will help attract the kind of buyers looking for a house like yours, so you’ll sell faster.

If you’re curious about your home’s current value, try HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. While it shouldn’t dictate your final pricing strategy, an online home value estimate can give you a ballpark price range. You can get a preliminary estimate in less than two minutes.

2. Consider a pre-listing inspection

Home inspections can often hold up a sale. With a pre-listing inspection, you’ll know repair issues in advance and let the buyer know about issues before they make an offer, which saves time.

Even if you don’t want to do an inspection, consider repairing major issues like sagging roofs and iffy HVAC systems, Grewe advises. “People are concerned about higher ticket items like HVAC or the roof. No one wants to move into a house and have to put a new roof on it right away.”

Whether you should do a major repair may depend on the specific situation, but Grewe does recommend taking care of obvious issues, such as replacing a leaky roof or siding damaged in a storm.  Such repairs do impact the price of the house. “Having a brand new roof is obviously going to give you a better list price than your neighbor’s house that still has a 20-year-old roof.”

3. Showcase your outdoor area

Virginia home shoppers love usable outdoor space. Extending your living space outdoors can be extremely appealing to buyers. Consider how you might transform your outdoor area into an attractive oasis. This might include adding a full furniture set, smoker, and television to watch the Nationals play on warm summer evenings.

“People like the ability to have an outdoor area, whether it is an enclosed deck or a patio with a fire pit,” Grewe notes. If your home doesn’t have a dedicated outdoor entertaining area, you can create one on a budget by arranging some lawn chairs around a small portable firepit.

4. Use the best technology to market your home

“You cannot get enough eyeballs on a home,” Grewe says, and social media can help get your home in front of more eyeballs. Grewe uses a professional photographer for every listing, and he posts the photos and information just about everywhere imaginable, from his company’s social media channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, to Facebook groups that highlight open houses and even groups that focus on yard sales.

Grewe’s photographer provides a laser-measured floor plan for the house, which he also posts on social media. “People find that very useful,” because they can see the dimensions of each room and determine if their furniture will fit, he says.

5. Declutter to make the home look bigger

Removing clutter and doing a thorough cleaning can make a big difference in whether your home is attractive to buyers. “Reducing the clutter is one of the things I consistently discuss with sellers,” Grewe notes. “You’re moving, right? Pack all this stuff up. Get a storage unit or sell this stuff if you’re not taking it with you.”

Getting clutter out of the house has a couple of benefits, Grewe explains. “A staging friend of mine told me years ago that the more floor you can see, the bigger the home looks, the bigger the room looks.” So removing furniture makes your home look more spacious. It also helps reduce what Grewe calls “pinch points,” or areas in your home where potential buyers feel uncomfortable because there’s not enough room for them to move around easily.

While you’re decluttering, depersonalize the space by removing your hunting trophies and your sports memorabilia. Those sorts of items become distractions and reduce the home’s appeal. Grewe tells sellers to put their emotions about their collections aside and pack them away because “we want to appeal to as many people as possible that walk in here.”

6. Clean, clean, clean

It should go without saying, but you must clean your home thoroughly before you show it. In addition to decluttering, make the home neat and tidy. Vacuum floors, scrub surfaces, and pay attention to eliminating odors that visitors will find unpleasant. “I have been in houses where .. the pet odor is considerable, and there is nothing more off-putting to folks than pet odors,” Grewe says.

In Virginia, where it’s humid and pollen is common, take steps to reduce pollen and mold in the home to avoid triggering a potential buyer’s allergies. Consider using a HEPA filter, and mow the lawn regularly to reduce grass pollen. Tackle minor mold issues with a biodegradable moldicide, but consult a professional for larger mold problems.

7. Make your door and entryway inviting

Buyers invariably spend time in your entryway while waiting for the agent to unlock the door, Grewe says, so the entryway, yard, and front door should be neat and tidy, showing the home is well maintained. “The last thing we want is for you to have overgrown bushes or dead plants.” Instead, the front door and doorframe should have fresh paint, the hedges should be trimmed, and you should have some welcoming, colorful flowers planted.

A HomeLight survey of top real estate agents found that sellers can receive up to a 238% return on investment on the cost of simple steps to improve curb appeal, such as small landscape upgrades, installing a new garage door, lawn maintenance, and fresh mulch. Buyers are also likely to pay 7% more for a home with great curb appeal.

8. Increase the light in your home

If you watch house-hunting shows on TV, you know that buyers are looking for a house that is light and airy. The more light you have in your home, the lighter and airier it will seem. To increase the amount of light in your home, take down heavy drapery and window coverings and add lamps or other lighting sources in any dark areas.

Set the stage for potential buyers by turning on all the lights before anyone comes to view your home. “A well-lit room looks larger,” Grewe says, adding that painting the walls in light, neutral colors can also help make the room look lighter and more inviting.

9. Make upgrades on older houses

In Virginia cities like Richmond, Arlington, and Roanoke, where much of the housing stock predates the 90s, “people are looking for homes that have been updated,” Grewe says, “We’re starting to see more luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout homes because it has been shown to be a superior product as far as maintainability.” He’s also seeing solid-surface countertops in “starter homes” where traditionally, you’d see laminate counters.

Vinyl replacement windows are another popular item that appeals to people buying older homes, he adds.

Younger buyers, like those buying houses in Northern Virginia, like eco-friendly features such as smart thermostats, rain barrels, and energy-efficient appliances.

10. Take advantage of Virginia’s market timing

Along with the recommendations above, it can be helpful to know the level of market activity in your Virginia market during different times of the year. HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator uses housing market data for your city to show you the best and worst months to sell your home. See when is the best time to sell a house if you want to make the most money and which months are best to sell your house fast.

Ready to sell your Virginia home?

As you can see, a top real estate agent in Virginia can help you navigate the many nuances that you might not otherwise discover until you’re swamped in the process. Their organizational efficiencies and marketing expertise can help you sell your Virginia house fast.

If you need an even faster sale, HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition in Virginia. If you don’t have the time or the means to prepare your home or move through the traditional listing process, you can skip the repairs and showings and close in as few as 10 days. Complete a short questionnaire and receive a no-obligation cash offer in 24 hours.

Writer Stacy Sare Cohen contributed to this story.

Header Image Source: (Brendan Stephens / Unsplash)