Sell a House

The Best Time of Year to Sell a House: A Comprehensive Guide

The best time of year to sell a house is dependent on a bunch of different factors.

Where do you live? What’s the weather like? How low are those historically low mortgage rates?

Good news: there are some trends and statistics we can look at to give you a better picture of the whole process. That’s what we’ll cover today and give you some home selling tips along the way.

The Best Time of Year to Sell a House

It’s no surprise that the hottest home-buying season is late spring-early summer. As a seller, this means your best bet to sell is to get on the market early, such as in April, May, or June.

School is ending for the summer; it’s warmer and easier to travel to visit homes, many jobs have extended hours.

Overall, it’s easier for homebuyers to look and make big decisions like this in the summertime.

Of course, there is a caveat here. Most people selling their homes also list in the summertime, for this very reason. Supply and demand meet in the middle. 

Here’s where your home’s location and seasonality affect the home selling process.

Say you live in a warmer climate, such as Florida. You may find potential homebuyers willing to buy more often during the winter, especially if your home is vacation-worthy for those northern folk.

However, if you live somewhere in the north, the later your home sits on the market into summer, drifting into fall, the worse off you are at selling high.

If your home isn’t sold or on the market by late September into October, well, then you’re in trouble.

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Selling a Home: Research

Selling a home takes effort. Even though some markets allow for ludicrous prices, even for those deemed ‘hell houses,’ expect to put in a bit of effort to get your home worthy for sale.

First and foremost, know your market. Use online resources to find out the estimated value of your home, check out what recent sales around your home have netted out to, and if possible, see why they sold for that much.

This info is important before leading into the next step:

Repairs and Updates

Got a kitchen that looks like it could be in an episode of Full House? Or maybe a laundry room with an avocado-colored washing machine? Maybe your bathroom has shag carpet?

Yeah. You may need to do some quick updates to get a good price. Some will prove more lucrative and worthwhile than others, however.

For example, if that washing machine is functional, keep it around. That kitchen does need updating, but why shouldn’t you let the new homebuyers work on it? Shag carpet in the bathroom, however, is a source of mold and disgust.

Prioritize whatever your home’s repairs are in this checklist manner and make smart, cost-effective repairs over those that are cosmetic.

Looking for someone else to do the heavy lifting? Sell my property for cash offers just this.

Educate Yourself on How to Sell a House

Now you know: the best time of year to sell a house is in early summer. Demand is above supply, and people want to get settled before school and work schedules start back up in the fall.

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And if you’re afraid to put in the work, you can always contact a realtor or third party to give you an idea of what your home needs to sell for a great price.

Looking for more content? Check out our related posts on the home buying and selling process.