One of the main concerns homeowners have about buying before selling is what happens if their current property takes longer to sell than expected.
How long it takes to sell a home depends on the local market, asking price, property condition and buyer demand. Finding a buyer is also only part of the timeline. Inspection, appraisal, financing and closing can add more time after an offer is accepted.
A slower sale does not mean Ribbon automatically purchases the property. It also does not mean you must immediately accept a heavily discounted offer.
You retain ownership of the home and continue working with your chosen Realtor.
The right response depends on why the property has not sold.
The asking price may no longer reflect the market. The listing could need stronger photography or presentation. Buyers may be raising the same concern about condition, layout or repair costs.
Sometimes the property simply needs more time.
Ribbon’s standard Buy Before You Sell term is six months. Qualified borrowers can extend the term to 11 months for a $500 fee, subject to their approved loan terms.
The extension provides additional time, but it should not replace an active sale strategy.
If the property is not attracting suitable offers, review the pricing and marketing strategy with your Realtor. Keep Ribbon informed about changes that could affect the expected sale proceeds, repayment plan or closing timeline before the initial term expires.
This guide explains how long selling a house can take, why delays happen, which expenses continue and what to do if your house won’t sell as quickly as planned.
For the complete purchase and financing process, read How to Buy a House Before Selling Yours.
Key Takeaways
- Selling timelines vary by location, property type, price and market conditions.
- Days on market does not include every stage between preparing the property and receiving the sale proceeds.
- A slower sale does not mean Ribbon automatically purchases your property.
- Ribbon does not require you to accept an immediate discounted offer.
- You retain ownership and continue working with your chosen Realtor.
- Ribbon’s standard Buy Before You Sell term is six months.
- Qualified borrowers can extend the term to 11 months for a $500 fee, subject to their approved loan terms.
- Property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and other ownership costs can continue until the home sells.
- Showing activity and repeated buyer feedback can help identify why the property is not selling.
- More time is most useful when supported by a realistic pricing and marketing plan.
Why You Can Trust This Guide
This guide has been reviewed by the lending team at Ribbon by Hurst Lending. Since 2000, we’ve helped retirees and homeowners navigate complex financing decisions, including buying a new home before selling their current one. The guidance in this article reflects the questions we regularly hear from borrowers comparing home equity loans, bridge loans, and Buy Before You Sell financing, along with our experience helping homeowners choose the structure that best fits their move.
How Long Does It Take to Sell a House?
There is no universal timeframe for selling a house.
The complete process includes more than finding a buyer. It can involve:
- Preparing the property
- Choosing a Realtor
- Setting the asking price
- Creating and publishing the listing
- Holding showings
- Receiving and negotiating offers
- Completing inspections
- Completing an appraisal when required
- Finalizing the buyer’s financing
- Resolving title and contract conditions
- Reaching closing
- Receiving the sale proceeds
Online market reports often measure only part of this journey.
In July 2026, the National Association of Realtors reported a median time on market of 29 days for existing homes. View the NAR July 2026 existing-home sales report.
Realtor.com reported a median of 57 days on market for active residential listings during the same month. View the Realtor.com July 2026 housing report.
The difference does not mean one figure is wrong.
The organizations use different datasets and methodologies. Neither number should be treated as a guaranteed selling timeline for an individual property.
Days on Market Is Not the Complete Selling Timeline
Days on market generally measures how long a property remains publicly available before reaching a defined point in the sale process.
It does not always include:
- Repairs and preparation before listing
- Photography and listing creation
- Negotiations after receiving an offer
- Inspection periods
- Appraisal
- Buyer financing
- Title work
- The period between going under contract and closing
This distinction matters when planning a Buy Before You Sell transaction.
Your home could attract a buyer within the normal local timeframe but still need additional time before the sale closes and the proceeds become available.
What Determines How Long It Takes to Sell Your Home?
The actual timeline depends on:
- Local supply and buyer demand
- Property type
- Price range
- General condition
- Location
- Season
- Mortgage rates
- Insurance availability
- Initial asking price
- Listing quality
- Showing availability
- Buyer financing
- Negotiation strategy
Even similar properties in the same neighborhood can have different results.
A correctly priced home in strong condition may attract an offer quickly.
A nearby property with an ambitious asking price, limited showing access or significant repair needs may remain listed for much longer.
Your Realtor should compare your home with recent local listings and completed sales rather than relying only on a national average.
When Is a Home Taking Longer Than Expected to Sell?
A property is not necessarily taking too long simply because it has exceeded a national median.
The more useful comparison is with similar properties in the same local market.
Ask:
- How long are comparable homes taking to secure an offer?
- How many similar properties have sold recently?
- How many competing listings are available?
- Are nearby sellers reducing their prices?
- Is your property generating online interest?
- Are buyers booking showings?
- Are showings producing offers?
- Are offers failing during negotiation or due diligence?
These questions help identify where the sale is slowing down.
A home that has received little online interest faces a different problem from one attracting regular showings but no offers.
Understanding that difference should come before changing the price or marketing strategy.
Why Isn’t Your House Selling?
A home can take longer to sell for many reasons.
The most useful starting point is not to ask whether the listing has failed. It is to identify where potential buyers are losing interest.
Think of the sale as a simple sequence:
- Buyers discover the listing.
- Interested buyers book a showing.
- Viewers decide whether to make an offer.
- The seller and buyer agree on terms.
- The transaction progresses to closing.
Where buyers leave this sequence provides evidence about what may need to change.
The Listing Is Receiving Little Online Interest
Limited views, saves and inquiries can indicate that the property is not competing effectively in online searches.
Possible causes include:
- An asking price above comparable properties
- Weak or insufficient photography
- An incomplete listing description
- An inaccurate property category
- Missing information
- Limited listing distribution
- Low buyer demand for that property type
- A slow local market
The first step is to compare the listing with competing homes as a buyer would see them online.
Look at the main photograph, asking price, condition, room presentation and key features.
If nearby properties appear more attractive before a buyer even clicks, improving the listing presentation may be more useful than waiting.
Buyers View the Listing but Do Not Book Showings
This normally means the property receives attention but does not give buyers enough reason to visit.
They may be concerned about:
- Price
- Location
- Visible condition
- Layout
- Property size
- Taxes or homeowners association fees
- Insurance costs
- Repair requirements
- Limited showing availability
Review which information becomes visible after buyers open the listing.
The main photograph might attract attention while the remaining images, description or property details reduce interest.
The Home Gets Showings but No Offers
Regular showings without offers indicate that buyers are considering the property but choosing not to proceed.
Common reasons include:
- The home feels overpriced after viewing it
- Its condition is weaker than the listing suggests
- Rooms appear smaller or darker in person
- Repairs seem more extensive than expected
- Buyers prefer competing properties
- Noise, access or location factors become apparent
- The presentation makes it difficult to imagine living there
This is where buyer and agent feedback becomes particularly useful.
One negative opinion may reflect personal preference. The same concern repeated across several showings is more likely to represent a market objection.
The Home Receives Offers but None Are Accepted
Receiving offers shows that buyers see value in the property.
The gap may involve:
- The asking price
- The seller’s minimum acceptable amount
- Requested repairs
- Closing dates
- Buyer concessions
- Financing terms
- Appraisal concerns
- Conditions included in the offer
Rejecting an offer can be the correct decision.
However, several offers within a similar range may provide stronger evidence of current market value than the original asking price.
The homeowner and Realtor should compare the expected net proceeds, terms and likelihood of closing rather than looking only at the headline price.
An Accepted Offer Does Not Reach Closing
A property can find a buyer and still return to the market.
Transactions can fail because of:
- Inspection findings
- A low appraisal
- Buyer financing problems
- Title issues
- Insurance difficulties
- Unresolved repairs
- Missed contractual deadlines
- A buyer withdrawing when permitted by the agreement
When this happens, identify the specific cause before relisting.
A financing problem affecting one buyer may not require a change to the property.
A structural, title or insurance issue could affect future buyers and should be addressed directly.
Pricing Is Important, but It Is Not the Only Issue
Price is often the first factor homeowners consider when a house will not sell.
It is important, but an immediate reduction is not always the right first response.
Before changing the price, review:
- Online listing performance
- Showing numbers
- Buyer feedback
- Offers received
- Recent comparable sales
- New competing listings
- Changes in local demand
- Property presentation
- Access for showings
- Marketing activity
These signals help distinguish a pricing problem from a presentation, condition or exposure problem.
The goal is not to defend the original asking price or reduce it automatically.
It is to understand what the market is communicating and choose the adjustment most likely to improve the sale.
What to Do If Your House Won’t Sell
When a home is taking longer to sell, avoid making several changes at once without understanding the cause.
Use a structured review with your Realtor.
1. Review the Listing Data
Start with evidence from the listing.
Review:
- Online views
- Saves or favorites
- Buyer inquiries
- Showing requests
- Completed showings
- Repeat visits
- Offers
- Days on market
- Performance compared with similar listings
The numbers help identify whether the problem occurs before or after buyers visit the property.
Low online interest points toward visibility, presentation, demand or price.
Strong online interest with few showings suggests buyers are discovering a reason not to visit.
Regular showings without offers usually indicate that the property is losing against its competition after buyers see it.
2. Compare the Property With Current Competition
Your original asking price may have been reasonable when the property was listed.
The market can change afterward.
Review:
- Similar homes recently sold
- New competing listings
- Price reductions nearby
- Properties that went under contract
- Listings that were removed without selling
- Differences in condition, location and features
- How long comparable homes remain available
Active listings show what sellers are asking.
Completed sales provide better evidence of what buyers have recently agreed to pay.
Both are useful, but they answer different questions.
3. Group Buyer Feedback Into Patterns
Do not treat every comment as equally important.
Group the feedback into four categories:
Price
- Too expensive compared with similar homes
- Repairs are not reflected in the asking price
- Buyers expect appraisal difficulties
Presentation
- Rooms feel crowded
- The home appears dark
- Personal belongings distract from the space
- Photography does not represent the property well
Condition
- Buyers expect substantial repairs
- Visible maintenance creates uncertainty
- A specific defect repeatedly concerns viewers
Property characteristics
- Layout
- Size
- Parking
- Location
- Noise
- Stairs
- Outdoor space
Price, presentation and some condition issues can be changed.
Permanent property characteristics usually need to be reflected in the pricing and marketing strategy.
4. Improve Presentation Before Reducing the Price
When presentation is the main problem, targeted improvements could increase buyer interest without changing the asking price immediately.
These can include:
- Decluttering
- Deep cleaning
- Improving lighting
- Completing minor repairs
- Neutralizing highly personal rooms
- Refreshing exterior presentation
- Improving landscaping
- Replacing weak listing photographs
- Reordering images so the strongest features appear first
- Updating the listing description
Focus on changes buyers repeatedly notice.
Expensive work is not automatically worthwhile. Consider whether the likely improvement in saleability justifies the time and cost.
5. Make Showings Easier
A strong listing cannot generate an offer if buyers struggle to view the property.
Review:
- Available showing times
- Notice requirements
- Weekend and evening access
- Instructions for buyer agents
- Whether pets or occupants affect appointments
- How quickly showing requests are answered
After moving into the new home, Buy Before You Sell borrowers may find it easier to keep the previous property clean and available for viewings.
The home can be presented without working around the family’s daily routine.
6. Refresh the Marketing
If the property is correctly priced and well presented, the marketing may need to change.
Your Realtor could review:
- Main listing photograph
- Image quality and order
- Property description
- Highlighted features
- Floor plans
- Video or virtual tour
- Social media promotion
- Agent-to-agent outreach
- Open house strategy
- Listing distribution
The aim is not to add marketing activity for its own sake.
Each change should address a specific reason suitable buyers may not be discovering or understanding the property.
7. Reconsider the Asking Price Using Evidence
A price adjustment should have a clear purpose.
Review the gap between:
- The current asking price
- Recent comparable sales
- Competing listings
- Offers already received
- Repeated buyer feedback
- The estimated net proceeds required by the financing plan
A small reduction that leaves the property in the same search bracket may have little effect.
A targeted adjustment could introduce the listing to a new group of buyers or improve its position against competing homes.
Your Realtor can explain how buyers search within price ranges and whether a proposed change is likely to increase exposure.
8. Review the Expected Net Proceeds
Do not evaluate an offer only against the asking price.
Estimate what remains after:
- Mortgage payoff
- Other liens
- Real estate commission
- Seller closing costs
- Buyer credits
- Repairs
- Taxes and adjustments
- Other sale expenses
A lower offer with strong financing and a dependable closing date can sometimes produce a better complete outcome than a higher offer carrying significant uncertainty or expensive conditions.
The approved Ribbon financing plan will determine how the sale proceeds are applied.
Speak with Ribbon before accepting an offer that could materially change the expected proceeds or approved repayment plan. Any future long-term financing may require separate approval.
There’s More Than One Way to Move
Ribbon offers flexible solutions designed to help homeowners buy, sell, and transition with less stress.
What Costs Continue While Your Home Is for Sale?
You remain the owner of the existing property until the sale closes.
This means some ownership and selling expenses can continue even after you move into the new home.
These may include:
- Property taxes
- Homeowners insurance
- Utilities
- Homeowners association fees
- Maintenance
- Landscaping
- Cleaning
- Repairs
- Security
- Staging
- Mortgage interest
- Other expenses included in the approved financing structure
The exact costs depend on the property and loan terms.
Qualified Ribbon borrowers can skip overlapping mortgage payments for up to three months.
The approved loan documents determine when payments begin and how interest and other financing costs are treated. Skipping scheduled payments does not necessarily mean that every associated cost is waived.
However, other property expenses can continue.
A realistic sale plan should account for these costs rather than assuming every expense stops when the homeowner moves.
Why Carrying Costs Affect Sale Decisions
Time has a financial value.
Waiting for a higher offer may produce a better sale price, but the additional proceeds should be compared with the expenses of holding the property longer.
For example, waiting another two months could involve:
- Taxes
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Maintenance
- Homeowners association fees
- Additional financing costs
This does not mean the homeowner should automatically accept a lower offer.
It means the decision should compare the likely net outcome rather than only the difference between two offer prices.
A slightly lower offer with strong terms and a dependable closing could sometimes produce a better result than waiting for an uncertain higher price while ownership costs continue.
Ribbon’s fee, normal lender costs and continuing property expenses, read Buy Before You Sell Costs Explained.
What Happens When the Initial Six-Month Term Is Ending?
Ribbon’s standard Buy Before You Sell term is six months.
Do not wait until the final days of the term to discuss a slower sale.
Contact Ribbon in advance and provide an update on:
- Current asking price
- Original asking price
- Listing date
- Days on market
- Number of showings
- Buyer and agent feedback
- Offers received
- Price or marketing changes already made
- Comparable sales
- Competing listings
- Expected next steps
- Revised sale timeline
This gives Ribbon a clearer view of the property’s position and the homeowner’s plan.
Can Ribbon Financing Be Extended?
Qualified borrowers can extend the Buy Before You Sell term from six months to 11 months for a $500 fee.
The extension adds five months to the initial term.
Availability remains subject to the borrower’s approved loan terms and extension requirements.
The additional time can help when:
- The property is attracting interest but needs longer to close
- A previous buyer withdrew
- Market activity has slowed
- Repairs or title matters delayed the listing
- A suitable offer is progressing but will close after the initial term
- Pricing and marketing changes need time to take effect
The extension should not be treated as permission to leave an ineffective strategy unchanged.
It is most useful when the homeowner and Realtor have identified why the sale is taking longer and created a realistic plan for completing it.
What Happens If the Sale Needs More Time?
Discuss the situation with Ribbon before the approved term ends.
The available options depend on:
- The loan documents
- Current loan status
- Property value
- Expected sale proceeds
- Marketing activity
- Offers or contracts in progress
- Revised sale strategy
- The complete repayment or refinancing plan
Do not assume that additional time will be available beyond the approved term.
Early communication provides more opportunity to review the situation before a deadline becomes urgent.
For a complete breakdown of
Do You Keep Control of the Sale?
Yes.
You retain ownership and continue working with your chosen Realtor.
Ribbon does not automatically:
- Purchase the existing home
- Take over the listing
- Replace your Realtor
- Set the asking price
- Choose which offer you accept
- Require an immediate discounted sale
- Turn the arrangement into a rent-back
You and your Realtor remain responsible for presenting, marketing and negotiating the property.
The sale must still support the approved financing and repayment plan. This is why Ribbon should be informed about material changes to the expected sale price, proceeds or closing timeline.
Control and communication work together.
You retain control of the sale while keeping Ribbon informed about changes that affect the financing.
When Should You Consider Reducing the Asking Price?
A price reduction should be a strategic response to evidence.
It should not be an automatic reaction to reaching a certain number of days on market.
A reduction may be worth considering when:
- Comparable homes are selling for less
- Competing properties offer better value
- The listing receives little interest despite strong presentation
- Buyers repeatedly describe the property as overpriced
- Several offers arrive within a similar lower range
- The home has missed the normal local selling timeframe
- Market conditions have weakened since listing
- The expected appraisal creates concern
- Continuing ownership costs are reducing the benefit of waiting
Before changing the price, ask your Realtor to explain:
- Which buyers the new price could reach
- Whether it moves the property into a different search bracket
- How it compares with recent completed sales
- Whether presentation or marketing should change at the same time
- How the adjustment could affect estimated net proceeds
- What response should be expected after the change
A reduction without a supporting strategy can leave the property in the same position at a lower price.
A targeted adjustment can reposition the listing and create a clear reason for buyers to reconsider it.
A Price Reduction Is Not the Same as a Forced Sale
Responding to the market is different from being forced to accept an immediate discounted offer.
You retain the right to decide:
- Whether to change the asking price
- When to make the adjustment
- Which offer to accept
- Which terms matter beyond price
- Whether the expected net proceeds remain workable
Ribbon does not automatically purchase the home or dictate an immediate price reduction.
The sale still needs to support the approved repayment or refinancing plan. Discuss material changes with Ribbon before committing to an offer or strategy that alters the expected proceeds.
What Ribbon’s Lending Team Commonly Sees
A slower sale is not always evidence of a serious problem.
Ribbon commonly encounters situations where:
- The property attracted a buyer but the transaction failed
- The initial asking price was based on an earlier market
- The home needed repairs before listing
- The homeowner listed later than originally planned
- Local demand changed after the next home was purchased
- A specific property type needed a smaller pool of buyers
- The home received interest but required a marketing or price adjustment
- An accepted offer needed longer to reach closing
These situations require different responses.
A failed buyer may mean the property needs to return to the market quickly with little other change.
Repeated inspection concerns may require repairs or clearer disclosure.
Limited showings could point toward presentation, access or price.
Several similar offers may provide reliable evidence of what the market is currently willing to pay.
The most useful update to Ribbon is not simply:
“The house has not sold.”
A stronger update explains:
- What has happened
- What the market is indicating
- Which changes have been made
- What response those changes produced
- What the homeowner and Realtor will do next
- When the sale is now expected to close
This turns a delay into a situation that can be reviewed and managed.
A Practical Delayed-Sale Review
Use this review to organize the information you discuss with your Realtor and Ribbon. Review pricing, marketing and buyer feedback with your Realtor. Discuss changes affecting the financing, expected proceeds or timeline with Ribbon.
Current Position
Confirm:
- Days on market
- Current asking price
- Mortgage and lien balances
- Estimated net proceeds
- Continuing monthly property costs
- Remaining financing term
Market Response
Review:
- Online interest
- Showings
- Repeat visits
- Buyer feedback
- Offers
- Failed transactions
- Comparable sales
- Competing listings
Changes Already Made
Record:
- Repairs
- Presentation improvements
- New photography
- Listing updates
- Marketing changes
- Showing-access changes
- Price adjustments
Next Actions
Agree on:
- Immediate changes
- Who is responsible
- Target completion dates
- When results will be reviewed
- When Ribbon will receive an update
- The revised expected sale date
A written review prevents the strategy from becoming a series of disconnected reactions.
The Bottom Line
If your home does not sell as quickly as expected, the next step is to identify where buyers are losing interest.
Review the listing data, local competition, showing activity, buyer feedback, offers and continuing costs with your Realtor.
Then make the change that addresses the evidence.
That could mean improving presentation, making showings easier, refreshing the marketing, completing targeted repairs or adjusting the asking price.
Ribbon’s Buy Before You Sell program has a standard six-month term.
Qualified borrowers can extend the term to 11 months for a $500 fee, subject to their approved loan terms.
Contact Ribbon before the initial term expires.
A slower sale does not mean Ribbon automatically purchases the property or forces an immediate discounted sale.
You remain the owner, keep your chosen Realtor and retain control of the sale while working within the approved financing and repayment plan.
More Time Without Losing Control of Your Sale
A slower sale does not have to turn your move into an emergency.
Ribbon’s Buy Before You Sell program gives qualified homeowners time to purchase and move into their next home before selling the previous property.
You retain ownership, keep your chosen Realtor and control the sale.
If the property takes longer than expected, review the evidence, adjust the strategy and communicate with Ribbon before the initial term ends.
FAQs
How long does it take to sell a house?
The selling timeline depends on the local market, property type, asking price, condition and buyer demand.
Days on market only measures part of the process. Preparing the property, negotiating an offer, completing inspections, arranging financing, resolving title issues and reaching closing can extend the complete timeline.
Compare your home with similar local properties rather than relying only on a national average.
What should I do if my house won’t sell?
Start by identifying where buyers are losing interest.
Review online activity, showing numbers, buyer feedback, offers, comparable sales and competing listings with your Realtor.
The evidence can indicate whether you need to adjust the price, improve presentation, make showings easier, complete repairs or change the marketing strategy.
Why is my house getting showings but no offers?
Showings without offers often mean buyers are interested in the general property but believe another factor makes it less competitive.
Possible reasons include:
- Asking price
- Condition
- Required repairs
- Layout
- Presentation
- Location
- Noise
- Insurance concerns
- Stronger competing properties
Ask your Realtor to identify patterns in buyer feedback rather than reacting to one opinion.
Should I reduce the price if my home is not selling?
Not automatically.
First review the listing performance, recent comparable sales, competing properties, buyer feedback and offers received.
A targeted price adjustment can improve the property’s position. A reduction made without understanding the problem may produce little change.
What costs continue if my home takes longer to sell?
You remain responsible for the existing property until the sale closes.
Continuing costs can include:
- Property taxes
- Homeowners insurance
- Utilities
- Homeowners association fees
- Maintenance
- Repairs
- Cleaning
- Landscaping
- Other approved financing expenses
Qualified Ribbon borrowers can skip overlapping mortgage payments for up to three months. The approved loan documents confirm when payments begin and which expenses remain the borrower’s responsibility.
What happens if my home does not sell within Ribbon’s initial six-month term?
Contact Ribbon before the initial term ends.
Provide an update covering the asking price, days on market, showing activity, buyer feedback, offers, changes already made and revised sale strategy.
Ribbon can then review the current position and available next steps under the approved financing.
Can Ribbon’s Buy Before You Sell financing be extended?
Yes. Qualified borrowers can extend the term from six months to 11 months for a $500 fee, subject to their approved loan terms.
The extension provides five additional months to complete the sale.
Speak with Ribbon before the original term expires to confirm the requirements and availability.
Will Ribbon buy my home if it does not sell?
No.
Ribbon does not automatically purchase the existing property if the sale takes longer than expected.
You retain ownership and continue working with your chosen Realtor until the home sells.
Will Ribbon force me to accept a discounted offer?
No.
Ribbon does not automatically require an immediate discounted sale.
You retain control over the listing price, negotiations and which offer you accept.
However, the sale still needs to support the approved repayment or refinancing plan. Discuss any material change in expected proceeds with Ribbon.
What happens after my current home sells?
The sale proceeds are applied according to the approved financing plan.
This generally involves repaying some or all of Ribbon’s temporary financing and completing any required long-term refinancing.
Ribbon Buy Before You Sell financing has no prepayment penalty.
