Can I Sell My House in Burien Without Listing It?

Is now a good time to sell my house in Burien?

It depends more on your plans than on the market. The right time is usually when a sale fits your next move, your finances and the state of the house.

If you want a market signal, compare recent sales of homes like yours in Burien with what is still listed. When listings sit longer and prices get cut, buyers have the upper hand.

More in How Do I Know When It’s Time to Sell My House?

Should I sell my Burien house as-is or fix it up first?

Make the inexpensive, visible repairs an inspector would flag, and skip the big projects. Sell as-is when the work would cost more, or take longer, than it would add.

Burien is a mix of older and newer homes. In our sample, one of two were built in 1980 or earlier, so an older house competes with newer ones and its condition shows. Older homes there also sell at a wider discount to new construction than the Washington median, 15.2 percent against 30.3 percent.

More in Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It Up First?

What are the benefits of selling my Burien house off-market?

You skip the listing, the showings and the repairs, and you set the date.

• No public listing. No MLS listing, no listing photos and no open house.
• The house as it stands. No repairs, no staging and no deep clean before closing.
• Your date. Close in a few weeks or a few months, whichever suits your next move.
• One counterpart. You deal with one buyer, not a run of showings and counteroffers.

The trade-off is exposure. A listing puts the house in front of every buyer in the market, and competition can push the price up. Should I Sell My House Off-Market? weighs both.

How fast can I sell my house in Burien?

As fast as the title work allows, if you sell privately. You and the buyer set the closing date, and the title search and Washington’s closing documents set the floor.

A listed sale usually takes longer, because the house has to be prepared, shown and negotiated, and the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval can still undo the deal late in the process.

If you are relocating, read How Do I Sell My House Fast When I’m Moving for Work?

What does it cost to sell a house in Burien?

On a listed sale, commission is usually the largest cost, followed by transfer taxes, title and closing fees, and any repairs or credits after the buyer’s inspection. A private sale to Address District has no commission.

Federal tax on the gain may not apply at all. If you owned the house and lived in it as your main home for two of the last five years, the IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

Line by line in How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

How does selling my Burien house off-market work?

In four steps, with no listing and no showings.

1. You tell us about the house, by the offer form or by contacting us.
2. Someone on our team reviews the house and the neighborhood and may ask to see it.
3. You get an offer, with no obligation to accept it.
4. If you accept, a title company or closing attorney handles the closing on the date you choose.

Before you sign anything, we tell you in writing who the buyer is.

What if my Burien house isn’t selling?

Look at price, condition and exposure, in that order. Few showings usually mean price, and showings without offers usually mean condition.

Before you talk to another buyer, read your listing agreement. Most owe the agent a commission on any sale during the term. More in Why Isn’t My House Selling?

How does Burien compare with nearby neighborhoods?

West Seattle and Fauntleroy, 6 miles away, has one older home among the three we sampled. West Seattle and Admiral, 9 miles away, counts one older home among the three we sampled. Newcastle, 9 miles away, shows two older homes among the six we sampled. Burien ranks tied for 762nd nationally for older homes, behind three of them.

Every neighborhood in the index has its own page, and the Washington page lists all 48 in the state.

Do older homes in Burien sell for less than new construction?

In our sample, yes. The one older home in the 98166 sample sold for 15.2 percent of the average price of new construction in the same ZIP code. The Washington median is 30.3 percent, and the index median is 23.1 percent. With one older home behind it, treat the figure as a rough guide.

The gap reflects size, lot and condition as much as age, so price an older house against recent sales of other older houses nearby, not against new construction.