Whilst many people have enough time to sell their home through a traditional estate agent, others need a quick sale, and the usual buying and selling process just takes too long. There are a number of reasons why you might need to sell your house quickly and there are specialist buyers who can arrange this for you. If need to sell your house and you're unsure how to do it, then follow these three steps.

1. Find a specialist buyer

These buyers have the funding and expertise to buy your home as quickly as possible ? sometimes within as little as seven days. Their aim is to help you to raise the money you need without the time and expense that's involved with selling through an estate agent. An estate agent-led sale can take up to 6 months, depending on how well your home is marketed and what state the buying chain is in. By contrast, a specialist buyer can give you an immediate valuation and complete the purchase within a much shorter time.

2. Know how much money you need

There are many reasons for needing a quick sale, including divorce, bereavement, financial difficulty or mortgage arrears. If you are in a position where you need cash to help with debt payments or to settle arrangements with other parties, then you should know how much money you need from your house sale. This will help when it comes to asking for a valuation ? either you will be able to raise the total amount from your house sale, or you will know how much you need to find from elsewhere to meet your requirements.

3. Decide whether you're moving out or staying put

Once you've found a specialist buyer, and you are confident that you've found the right company to deal with, you need to decide whether you are happy to move out of the house, or whether you want to stay. This will depend on your circumstances; if you have inherited the house and you don't want to live there, or if you are relocating at short notice then you will not be using the house after it is sold. If, however, you are currently living in the property and you want to stay there, then let your buyer know as they can often arrange for you to rent the property at a fair market price ? reducing the stress associated with moving out at short notice.