Just like consumer goods have seasons in which they sell best, homes sell better in certain seasons. If you’re able to use the seasonal variations in home sales to your advantage, you can benefit from a quicker sale and possibly a better price. However, even if you must sell your home during a less opportune season due to a change in a job or a family situation, there are some things you can do to help selling home to your advantage.
Traditionally, homes sell best during the spring and into the summer months. This is because families don’t want to move children into different schools at the end of a term. Warmer weather is more conducive to moving. Many people use their tax refunds to help finance down payments, closing costs or moving expenses. Your home often looks its best with a show of spring flowers and trees after the long, gray winter. Just remember that, since it takes time for a sale to go through, you’ll need to list your home during the winter if you want to move yourself during the spring or early summer.
Fall is another time that buyers may be looking for a new place to live. Parents are willing to move their children to different schools just after the new school term starts, rather than later in the year. The pleasant weather makes house hunting and potential moves more attractive. Many buyers want to have the home buying process and the move accomplished before the holidays. There are some, though, who are willing and motivated to purchase a home around Christmas and the New Year in order to claim expenses on the current year’s tax return. Another benefit of selling a home during the holidays is that there’s likely not much competition at all from other sellers. You could get help selling home simply because it’s one of just a very few available.
Of course, the area in which you live will also have some impact on the seasonal nature of home sales. The Northeast and the Midwest will generally see fewer home sales during the cold winter months, while in states like Florida or California, these months may experience a spike in sales. Likewise, states such as Arizona or Texas don’t see as much action in home sales during the extreme heat of the summer months. No matter when you’re ready to sell your home, keep in mind that other factors such as new jobs or layoffs will impact its sale even more. With luck, your home will stay on the market for only a short time.