Free guide
Can't sell my house? Why it's happening and what to do
Straight answers, no jargon, and every option you've got. Including the ones that don't involve me.
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It's almost always one of three things
- The price. Set at what you need, not what buyers will pay.
- The advert. Dull photos, wrong price band, an agent gone quiet.
- A lender problem. Something that stops buyers getting a mortgage.
An honest word first. I buy houses, so you'd expect me to tell you to sell to me. I won't. For most people, fixing the price or the advert and staying with an agent gets more money. Try that first.
How long is too long?
Find your problem. Then fix it.
The price
You'll notice: viewings, but no offers.
Fix: compare with three houses like yours that have sold nearby in the last six months. Not ones still for sale.
The advert
You'll notice: hardly anyone books a viewing.
Fix: professional photos on a bright day, a floorplan, and your best room as the first picture.
Your agent has gone quiet
You'll notice: no feedback, no new ideas.
Fix: ask how many people viewed and saved your advert this month. No answer? Check your notice period.
It needs work
You'll notice: offers, then the valuation comes in low.
Fix: get written quotes so buyers see the real cost, then price for it or fix the one big job. More on selling a house that needs work.
Lenders won't lend on it
You'll notice: buyers pull out once their bank gets involved.
Fix: find the cause. Spray foam, an unusual build, a short lease, missing sign-offs or knotweed. Ask a solicitor.
Paperwork is missing
You'll notice: the buyer's solicitor keeps asking questions.
Fix: instruct your solicitor before you list, and dig out certificates for building work, gas, electrics and windows.
Not sure which one is yours? Ask your agent one question: “If this were your house, what would you change before the next viewing?” Then ask a friend who'll be brutally honest. If they both say the same thing, that's your problem.
Cutting the price: do it once, do it right
Buyers search Rightmove and Zoopla by picking a maximum price, usually in £10,000 steps. A house at £205,000 is invisible to everyone searching up to £200,000. So one cut that drops you into a new band beats three small ones that don't.
| Was | Cut to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| £200,000 | Now seen by everyone up to £200k | |
| £250,000 | £259,950 fools nobody | |
| £300,000 | A small cut into a busy band |
When: after 4–6 weeks of viewings with no offer. No viewings at all? Fix the advert first. When you cut: new lead photo, and ask your agent to email everyone who viewed.
Sale fallen through? You're not alone
About 1 in 4 agreed sales collapse. Why sales fell through, April to June 2026:
Your 48-hour plan
- Find out exactly why. Mortgage, survey, chain or cold feet each need a different fix.
- Get a copy of the survey. The next buyer's surveyor will find the same thing.
- Ring everyone who viewed or offered. The runner-up is your fastest way back.
- Keep your legal work alive, so you don't pay for searches twice.
- Check your next buyer properly: mortgage agreed, deposit ready, short chain.
Find your situation
- Your house isn't selling and nothing's happening
- Your house sale has fallen through
- Selling a house you've inherited
- Selling a house that needs work
- Selling a house during separation or divorce
- Selling a house with tenants in
- Behind on the mortgage
- When you owe more than your house is worth
- Selling your house when you're relocating
- Selling a parent's house to pay for care
Before you choose: what matters most to you?
You can usually have two of these, rarely all three. Pick the one you can't give up, and the right route follows.
Market price
Stay with an estate agent and get whatever a buyer is willing to pay. Fix the price and advert, and be prepared to wait.
Speed
Auction or a cash buyer. Expect less money in return for a quick, firm date.
Certainty
A cash buyer with no chain, or exchanging now and completing later.
Every way to sell, side by side
| Route | Price | Speed | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent | Whatever a buyer is willing to pay | Slowest, ~7 months | 1 in 4 collapse |
| Auction | Whatever the room bids | Fast | Bound on the day |
| Cash buyer | Below market | Weeks | No chain |
| Exchange now, complete later | Closer to market | Upfront payment now, the rest later | Bound at exchange |
| Lease option | Close to, or above, today's value | Monthly from the start, then a final lump sum | Relies on the buyer |
Ask any house buyer, me included
- Are you the actual buyer?
- Can the price drop after your survey? By how much?
- Can you show me how you worked out the offer?
- Who pays my legal fees, and what if you pull out?
- How much deposit do you pay, and when?
- Can I speak to people you've bought from?
Walk away if a buyer…
- makes an offer without seeing the house
- pressures you to sign today
- promises “up to 100% of market value” but won't show the workings
- drops the price just before exchange
- offers to buy your home and rent it back to you, without being authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority
Your checklist: work through this, this week
- Find 3 similar houses that have sold nearby
- Compare your price to those sold prices
- Check you're not just over a price band
- Ask your agent for this month's advert stats
- Look at your advert on your phone
- Instruct your solicitor now
- Gather your certificates and guarantees
- Empty house? Check the insurance
- Sale fell through? Get the survey
- Decide: top price, speed or certainty?
Quick answers
Why can't I sell my house?
It's almost always one of three things: the price is set at what you need rather than what buyers will pay, the advert isn't working (dull photos, wrong price band, an agent gone quiet), or something stops buyers getting a mortgage on it.
How long should a house take to sell?
Rightmove's 2026 figures show it takes about 21 days to find a buyer when a house is priced right, and 47 days when the price had to be cut. From listing to completion averages about 7 months.
How many house sales fall through?
About 1 in 4. TwentyCi put the UK fall-through rate at 23.7% in January to March 2026.
Should I cut my asking price?
After 4 to 6 weeks of viewings with no offer, yes. Make one decisive cut that drops you into a lower search band, for example from £215,000 to £200,000, rather than several small cuts.
Figures: Rightmove (2026), TwentyCi (Q1 2026), Quick Move Now (Q2 2026). General guidance only, not legal or financial advice.