What Is the Best Time of Year To Sell My Home?

How you can prepare for the spring market by planning ahead, budgeting your time, and getting in early.

As a real estate agent, one of the most common questions I get from potential home sellers is, “When is the best time of year to sell my home?” The truth is that the best time to sell is when you need to move; however, if you’re determined to try and time the market, the best time to sell is when you have the least amount of competition. In most markets, that means selling in late winter or early spring. Once spring hits, inventory increases rapidly, and you’ll have to compete with tons of other homeowners. If you truly want to hit the optimal selling window in late winter or early spring, here are three key things you need to consider:

1. Plan early. The more time you give yourself to plan out your home sale, the better. Getting your home ready for the market might involve a lot more work than you thought of beforehand, so don’t procrastinate. I recommend giving yourself a three to four months headstart before you list for things like pre-listing consultations, staging, repairs, and more. If you want to sell at the optimal time in late winter or early spring, that means you need to start these things as soon as possible.

"Get ahead of things by listing as early as you reasonably can."

2. Budget your time. It can take 60 to 120 days to sell your home once you list it, but many homeowners still have a mentality leftover from the pandemic market, when homes would sell in as little as a week. That’s why I recommend working with your agent to plan out what you need to do to hit the optimal selling window. Once you have a schedule, it will be easier to budget your time and sell at the perfect moment. 3. Beat your competition to the market. If you have a choice between listing earlier or later, list earlier. Once the spring frenzy hits, supply increases exponentially each month. All those sellers are competition that will make it harder for you to get the best deal possible, so try your best to beat them to the market. It’s tempting to wait for prices to increase as demand picks up, but this isn’t a good strategy. By the time you enter the market, you’ll be chasing a wave of demand that has already passed. Instead, get ahead of things by listing as early as you reasonably can. If you want to sell this spring and get the best deal possible, your first step should be to have a pre-listing meeting. Just call or email me, and we’ll go over your situation, your goals, the market, and more. It’s 100% free and no obligation. I look forward to hearing from you

Happy Holidays From Us

From our team to your family, we want to wish you a happy holiday season.

Happy holidays to you!

The holiday season has officially arrived. We hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year and make some fantastic memories.

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. We love helping people make their real estate dreams come true, so thank you for working with us and supporting our business.

This may be a busy time of year, but we are always here to help you and answer any questions you may have. Give us a call or email, we’d love to help you. 

In case we don’t hear from you until 2025, have a happy New Year!

Should I Sell My Home During the Holidays?

 

I explain why it still makes sense to sell your home during the holidays, from motivated buyers to lower housing inventory.

Do you need to sell your home soon but are afraid no one will want to buy during the holidays? Conventional real estate wisdom says that no one is looking to purchase a house this time of year. After all, everyone’s kids are home from school, and they must be incredibly busy from the holidays, right? 

The truth is that most people move when they need to, not when they want to. You can still get a great deal during the holiday season for your home sale; in fact, there are even a few key advantages. Here are three reasons why you should consider selling your home during the holidays: 

1. People have more time off during the holidays. It’s true that people are busy on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, but you have to remember that those are only three days out of the year. For the rest of the holiday season, most people have extra time off to look at homes and plan out a move. A three-day weekend or extended break is just the excuse some buyers need to get out and look at your home.

"Lower inventory means less competition for home sellers."

2. Inventory is low. When you list your home, you want there to be the least amount of competition possible so that you’re in a stronger negotiating position with buyers. Fortunately, December and January are when homes for sale hit a year-long low. This means buyers don’t have as many choices, and you might be able to ask for more concessions during negotiations. 

3. Buyers are highly motivated this time of year. You don’t have to worry about window shoppers this time of year. If a buyer is interested in your home during the holiday season, it probably means they need to move as soon as possible. This could be because they need to get a new job, they need to move soon for tax reasons, or anything else. Whatever their motivation is, you can be sure they’re more likely to be serious about buying your home and following through with the deal. 

If you want to sell in Q1 next year, please call or email me for a free pre-listing consultation. It always pays to plan ahead, and I’ll go over everything you need to make sure you get the best deal possible. I look forward to hearing from you!