There are a lot of preconceived notions about the best time of the year to sell a home. Some people argue that there are prime times of the year to list a home, but we feel that any time of the year is a good time to list a home as long as it’s in good condition and priced correctly.
Maintaining curb appeal, keeping the interior clean, making small repairs, and showing off the home’s best features are crucial parts of the home sale process. If your home looks good and is priced competitively, it should sell quickly regardless of the season.
In the winter, there are fewer buyers, but the buyers that are out are serious about finding a home. People who have to move during the winter are also often more desperate to find a home and will be more willing to budge on their “must-haves” so that they can find a home quickly. There’s less competition from other homes on the market, so if your home has even some of the traits that a buyer is looking for, they might consider making an offer.
In the spring, the buyer activity starts to pick up, but so do the number of listings. More active buyers could mean a higher chance of getting an offer on your home, but it could also mean more options for those buyers if your home doesn’t fit their ideal home criteria. Buyers looking to move in the spring might also actually be looking to move in the summer, so you could end up with buyers who aren’t ready to make an offer yet.
In the summer, buyer activity is very high but so is competition from other homes. Listing in the summer means that your home has to be in the best condition, because you’ll be trying to win an offer over all of the other available homes. It’s also more work to maintain good curb appeal (crucial to a fast home sale), and you’ll have to schedule your listing availability around vacations.
In the fall, buyer activity begins to slow down, but there are still lots of people trying to find a home before the new year begins. You also have less competition from other homes because people have either sold their property or have decided to take it off the market until next year, so the demand remains high for a well-priced home in good condition.
There will always be pros and cons for any season that you list your home in, but by making sure that your home is in great condition and stands out from the rest, you’ll have a good chance of selling no matter the season.
If you don’t have a real estate agent, but are looking to sell, let a member of The Home Team NC know. We’d love to work with you!