Selling your house is a process more than an event. It takes time, careful consideration, and a lot of patience when it comes to preparing, listing, and the actual sale. One of the hardest parts can be deciding when is the best time to sell a house.
Knowing when is the best time to sell a house depends on several factors, many that are out of your control. While a lot of the selling process is going with the flow, you can track certain patterns to know when the best time is to put your house up for sale. If you’ve done your research, and your schedule can accommodate the market, there is a good chance the odds will be more in your favor for a quicker sale.
If you have asked yourself, “Is it a good time to sell a house in the winter?”, you should know that there are seasonal swings to the housing market. People tend to go house hunting when the weather is nice out, so spring is the most ideal season for putting your house up for sale. Also, families like to plan moves for the summer so that they interrupt as little of their children’s school year as possible.
If you find winter is dragging on, or a spring freeze is in your forecast, maybe hold off on the open house. Always make sure the walkway into the front of your house is clear of all debris, including snow, ice, leaves from windstorms, or anything else that might impact the appearance of your house from the time the prospective homeowner pulls up to the curb. First impressions are everything, and bad weather can sometimes have an effect on the bushes, the lawn, and even the driveway. Always go out front and take a look before anyone is coming over for their first look at your property.
Many people ask, “Is it a good time to sell a house in this market?” The economy is an uncontrollable element in the home-selling industry. There are two markets: the buyer’s market and the seller’s market. A buyer’s market means there is a surplus of houses available and it allows the buyer to possibly make more requests or force lower bids on the homeowner. A seller’s market means homes for sale are at a premium, so the seller has the upper hand in the negotiations.
In which economy is it the best time to sell a house? A seller’s market is straightforwardly more ideal for getting your house sold right away, but this cannot always be helped. When it comes to listing your house, do your research and see how many homes are listed in your neighborhood or community, and look at market forecasting from expert sources. Gather as much information as you can so you can make informed decisions before taking the next step in trying to sell your house.
Finally, before deciding to sell, you must answer the question “Is it a good time to sell a house for me?” One of the first steps to selling a house is getting it ready for the market, and depending on the state of your house, this may take some time. Making repairs and sprucing up your house will aid in making the house more attractive no matter what time of year you list it. Make sure you do a thorough cleaning and an appraisal of what people will see when they enter your home. While you may appreciate them, too many personal touches may cut down on the prospective buyer’s ability to see the house as they want to, and detract from the house itself. Once clean, it’s best to make sure your furniture is angled in a way that makes the space feel more open and the walls are not littered with pictures or holes from picture hooks. Keeping it simple is the smart way to go when trying to sell your house.
Don’t forget the outside, either. Look for loose siding, trim the grass and hedges, and keep the entrances and exits as clear as possible. Also, when you look at the house from the front or back yard, look in the windows. Make sure nothing can be seen from the windows that you don’t want seen: clothes, toys, even dirty dishes. Be sure to cover all your bases so you provided potential homeowners with the most ideal 360-degree view.
Sometimes circumstances don’t allow you this extra time to decide exactly how and when you want to sell your house, and that’s okay. There are always ways to make your house attractive on the market when you are getting ready to sell. The best and most important step in this process is consulting with a real estate agent. They can not only guide you through the entire process, but also provide insight on what can make your house sell better when you do list it.
The housing market is a year-round industry. Just because it experiences fluctuations doesn’t mean that if you list your home in the winter or during a buyer’s market that it won’t sell. It is a matter of being flexible, recognizing your own needs, and making the decision to sell your home when it’s necessary. There will always be somebody looking to buy a house. Sometimes they just have to find you first.
Stefan Bradley
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Ernie Parnell
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