When is the best time to sell a house?

Did you know that there is an ideal time to sell your house? Not just ideal for you, but literally there is an ideal two-week-period of the year where houses tend to sell 18.5 days faster than any other month, and for 5.9 percent more money. (Source) If you want to maximize your money, you’d be well served to sell your house during this time period. But, that’s not the only time you can make good money with the housing market... Read on to find out what our real estate expert has to say.

What are the best months to list a home for sale?

Generally, the spring months are your best bet when it comes to listing your home for sale, shooting for early May. Why? Let’s ask our expert!

Oregon realtor, Tyler Reese shared that early May is the peak time to list a home because, “you want to get ahead of other homes coming into the market. Listing early in the sunny days of spring can help you get that curb-appeal, HGTV-perfect looking house, which can help you reach the top of a crowded market.”

Obviously, curb appeal is majorly important when it comes to selling your house. You need your home looking gorgeous in the listing photos, and in real life. According to Fortune Builders, “Curb appeal sets expectations. Prospective buyers are more inclined to look inside if they like what they see on the outside. First impressions make a difference when it comes to selling a home.”  

Selling a Home in Spring

Pros

• Peak curb appeal season
• The market heats up in spring with more buyers and more viewings
• More competition means you’re more likely to receive multiple offers

You could make significantly more money than your asking price if the local market is hot enough

Cons

• More competitive market means that your house needs to be in top shape
• More looky-loos and casual buyers
  

Selling a home in fall

Pros

• Less competition in the market
• Fall gardens can be gorgeous and colorful
• Fall decorations can be a major bonus in your listing photos
• Buyers tend to be serious in the fall
• You’ll likely be able to sell before the holiday season
  

Cons

• Less buyers can mean less viewings
• Families are busy and focused on their childrens’ school activities and less likely to want to move between districts after the school year has started
• Falling leaves can mess with your curb appeal if you’re not careful
• You can’t go as wild with Halloween decorations as you might like
  

Selling a home in the winter

Pros

• Most buyers are serious and want to move quickly
• Snowy houses can have some MAJOR curb appeal
• Fewer listings in the market mean more eyes for your listing

Cons

• Moving when it’s cold can be rough
• You’ll have to do more maintenance and shoveling on your driveway/walkways if you live somewhere snowy
• Not as much competition in the market, so you won’t have endless buyers available
  

Selling a home in summer

Pros

• Longer days mean more showings
• Easy to maintain yards and driveways for maximum curb appeal
• Features like pools and beautiful backyards look especially enticing in the summer
• Families often look to move in the summer

Cons

• Your local market may be saturated by the time summer comes around
• You can’t exactly go on a summer vacation while you’re selling your home
• It can be more expensive to keep your house in showing-shape with the added costs of running air conditioning or watering your lawn
  

Alright, so what’s the absolute best time to sell my home?

Personally, I would probably sell my home in the winter. I like a serious buyer, and I’m not too bothered by the cold. I don’t think I would enjoy the casual lookers in the springtime, mostly because I don’t want to have that many strangers in my house!

Our editorial director, Melissa, had a different take though. She said she’d probably list her home in April or June instead of May because, based on this advice, so many people will list in May. If you list your home early you could get the early birds, if you list in June you might get people who are super eager to buy something after trying for months. Though she does admit that the practicality of listing in April or June instead of May could also depend on how nice of a spring you're having.

There are pros and cons to selling your home in every season. While your real estate professional might suggest springtime is best, don’t worry about feeling like you’ve missed your opportunity in the real estate market if you’re not ready to sell in the spring! The true “best” time to sell a house is when it works best for you.