Exactly When is the Best Time of Year to Sell Your Home?

Trying to sell your home involves a different journey for each and every seller. Whilst regional, personal and seasonal factors will come into play each time a house goes onto the market, it can be tricky to know exactly what time of year is best to put that ‘For Sale’ sign up at the front of your home.

The golden rule when it comes to selling your house is that you should always do it when there the most amount of buyers actively looking to buy. This is because of the positive effect that competitive buyers have on your achievable selling price. We all know the potential issues with leaving a house stuck with a ‘For Sale’ sign outside for far too long – a lack of buyer’s confidence in the home itself, fluctuating prices, a breakdown of communication between the estate agent and homeowner. But get enough people competing for your home, and like any good auction, your offers are always set to skyrocket.

In order to get the best price at the right time, we’ve put together some top tips on the best time to put your home on the market. Enjoy!

Spring.

Spring is always a good time of year to sell your home. The busy Christmas season is well and truly over, the new year has got everyone thinking of moving and the flowers are starting to bloom again! With everywhere looking bright and fresh, the long dark winter evenings are over, so your home has the chance to look more welcoming than it might when fighting the wind and rain of the December and January months. Spring also has the advantage of being less hectic than summer – people aren’t going on holiday quite so much and have time to save after the Christmas period.

The market truly picks up from February onwards, with trends picking up right until the middle of July. Use this time to spruce up your home and get it ready for viewings. (For more tips on how to do this easily, check out our handy guide right here. http://movenowproperties.com/prepare-your-property-viewing/) Then you can welcome in potential buyers as the weather starts to warm up and move out yourself at a time that suits you later in the year.

Summer.

Despite the scorching temperatures and beautiful sunshine, the height of summer is often not a great time to put your house up for sale. A lot of people choose to go away at this time, and if your potential buyer(s) are parents, then chances are they are also having to organise childcare during the summer holidays and won’t be thinking about house viewings.

The Mid-July to early September period is a huge no-go when it comes to house selling, as this is primarily when the kids are off school. If you’re put in the position where you have to get your house on the market in summer, then make every effort to do so as early as possible. The market dies in August and so if your home is not on the market by early July you’ll be putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Autumn.

Autumn can be a surprisingly strong season to sell your home. The busy summer is over and people want to settle down in a new home before the colder months kick in. If you’re trying to sell your home in late September or October you’ve nothing to worry about, but do make sure you’re ready to move quickly if you do find a buyer though. After October, and particularly from the 2nd of November, the market tends to slow right down.

Winter.

Winter is often the trickiest time of year to sell your home. We’ve all struggled with busy schedules during the festive season, so it’s easy to see why potential buyers wouldn’t want to add house viewings to the mix! Not only this, Christmas proves an expensive time of year for those who enjoy the festive celebrations, which means that many will choose to wait until spring before getting serious about looking for a new home.

Other factors:

Before selling your home, be sure to check any regional factors that might affect the efficiency of your advert – any changes with the local council, or even neighbours getting building work done can affect how your home might appeal to people looking to buy.

Even if you hear that the market’s picking up, it can be best to hold off until the timing is optimal. In spite of this, there are still buyers out there 365 days of the year. It just helps to know which times are best.

Do you need help selling your home? Our MoveNow team are happy to help! Get in touch now.