Are you considering selling your house in Detroit but worried about the preparation needed to get the best price offer? No worries! The market is competitive, but also full of opportunity; you just need to know how to prepare your house right. Just spare a few minutes and read on!
About the Detroit Housing Market
Detroit’s real estate scene has changed over the last decade. Once the city was known for its high vacancy rates, it’s now one of the most active and fastest-growing affordable housing markets in the country. Here are some key facts to know before listing your home:
- Median sale price here is around $110,000 as of late 2025, up roughly 16% year-over-year.
- On average, a home takes about 43 days to sell, compared to nearly 50 days a year ago.
- Detroit ranks among the top 3 most affordable large metros in the US, drawing both first-time buyers and investors.
Detroit is still a seller’s market, but it’s also realistic. In the case of selling your house fast vs a traditional sale, normal buyers expect good value for their money, which means they need clean, functional, and move-in-ready homes. If your home looks neglected, they’ll likely skip to the next listing.
How to Prepare Your Detroit Home for a Quick Sale
Here are a few tips that will help you prepare your home for sale in Detroit:
Start with a Deep Clean
To clean a home, you have to go through every room and remove the clutter, personal items, and anything that distracts from the space itself. You have to clean like you are prepping for an inspection so focus on floors, walls, cabinets, light switches, baseboards, everything.
If possible, hire a cleaning service for this. Detroit homes tend to be older, and buyers will notice signs of wear or grime right away.
Fix the Small Stuff
Detroit’s housing stock is full of adorable older homes, but also requires small maintenance. Don’t let little things like a dripping faucet, cracked tile, or squeaky door handle make buyers think there are bigger issues. Always, patch, tighten, paint, and polish. Fresh paint in neutral tones alone can completely change a room’s feel.
If you have updated major things like the roof, furnace, and electrical, make sure that’s visible in your listing or during showings. Buyers love knowing they won’t be hit with big expenses later.
Boost Your Curb Appeal
Buyers start forming opinions the moment they see your house. A neat, well-kept exterior tells them that you care about the home. So, cut the grass, trim overgrown bushes, and power-wash the walkway. If your porch light flickers or the mailbox leans, fix it. Add a simple welcome mat or a few potted plants to bring warmth without clutter.
Detroit winters can make exteriors look dull, so if you are listing during colder months, keep snow shoveled and the entryway clean and well-lit.
Stage for a Warm, Move-In Feel
Buyers don’t need luxury; they need comfort. Keep rooms open, bright, and neutral.
- Pull back curtains to let in natural light
- Rearrange furniture to make rooms feel spacious
- Remove bold artwork or busy rugs that could distract
If your home is vacant, ask your agent about virtual staging. It’s affordable and helps listings stand out online, especially in Detroit’s competitive price bracket.
Eliminate Odors
Older Detroit homes usually have traces of pets, smoke, or cooking. You might not notice it, but buyers will.
Open windows, clean soft surfaces, replace HVAC filters, and skip masking sprays. Neutral, fresh air beats perfume every time.
Price It Right
Here’s where many sellers fail to sell house fast in Detroit! Even in a seller’s market, pricing too high slows things down. The right price, not the highest, attracts multiple offers and can even start quick bidding (or better yet a bidding war).
Ask your agent for recent comparable sales within a one-mile radius. Detroit is block-by-block when it comes to value, so rely on local data, not national trends.
Get Professional Photography
In Detroit, buyers almost always find homes online first. That means your listing photos are doing most of the selling. So, hire a professional photographer who knows how to shoot older or historic homes with perfect lighting and angles, as this makes a big difference.
Bonus tip: Ask for a twilight exterior shot. Detroit’s evening skyline and golden-hour light make for great first impressions.
Make Showings Easy
Buyers can’t fall in love with a home they can’t see. So, don’t make it hard for buyers to see the place. The more eyes on your property, the faster it sells. Keep the home ready at short notice, and if you’re still living there, create a simple system to stash personal items before showings.
Selling to a Cash Buyer and How It Affects Home Prep
If you sell your Detroit home to a cash buyer like Money Team Properties, things are much different… you don’t have to lift a finger! No cleaning, no staging, no repairs, no moving, and no photos! Take what you want from the home, and leave… we’ll handle the rest.
The Bottom Line
Detroit’s housing market is strong, but buyers are smart. So, always clean, fix, light, and price your home with intention. The houses that sell fast are not the ones with the most square footage; they are the ones that feel ready. When your home looks like an easy yes, the offers come fast.