Sell That House: The Serious Time of the Year

Sell That House: The Serious Time of the Year

We are moving into the cold months of the year and into the holiday season.

For many people who would like to sell their homes, they feel like they have missed the prime selling season and so they intend to wait until next year.

There is a common belief that the best time to sell a house is in the spring when the snow has thawed, the holidays are over, the flowers are blooming, the children will soon be ending school, and vacations are still a few months away in the summer.

Indeed, the numbers do show that the winter months have fewer sales than the rest of the year. The drop may be as much as 25%.

Could Sellers be missing out on a very good time to sell their homes?

Here are some reasons why the winter months may be a good time for Sellers to put their homes on the market:

• Note first that there are sales that do take place, even if there are less than during the rest of the year;
• There are fewer homes on the market, meaning that there are fewer options from which a Buyer can choose; there is less competition;
• The Buyers are likely to be more serious if they are looking during the colder months; the window shoppers come out in the nice weather;
• It is easier to have a consistent atmosphere in the house during the cold months; basically the heat will be on and the humidity will be low; compare to the spring when one may use the heat, the air conditioning, or open windows and when the relative humidity will vary from day to day;
• It is easier to maintain the grounds, no trimming the bushes or cutting the lawn; just keep the paths clear of snow;
• For many people, the holiday season brings a built-in reason to decorate the house, hence making it look nice for the potential Buyers as well as for the holidays;
• People are more likely to cook meals during the colder months, which provided those meals are of a pleasant aroma, will also be pleasing to the potential Buyers;
• Agents can give more attention to each listing because they will have less listings overall and more time available overall;
• Any contracts which are received are likely to go to settlement more quickly, since everyone involved is working on fewer transactions.

Keep in mind, that interest rates may be going up as we move into next year, which could make homes less affordable. Another pressure to drive prices down.

So maybe it is not a good idea to hold off until next year; get that house sold now.