Timing Your Home Sale

Timing is everything, so they say. And so it is with selling your home. So when's the best time to sell? That depends. The law of supply and demand prevails in the real estate market.

But more than anything, having a well-maintained house at the right price, and marketing it well, says the most about when it will sell.

At Real Living, we believe the best time to sell your home is any time that's right for you!

Peak season

There's no denying that there are peak selling seasons; but they change from year to year and vary from market to market. Weather certainly has an influence on peak season, but it doesn't dictate it. Early spring and early fall are thought to be prime listing seasons. That's when homeowners prefer to spend their time preparing their homes for sale; when the kids are getting out of school (or just going back); and when houses look their best–outside of the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

If you decide to sell during a peak season in your area, keep in mind there are many more houses on the market then. That means you'll have much more competition and possibly a tougher sale. But it's also likely that many more prospective buyers will see your home, too.

Your best time

Only you can decide when the best time to sell your home is. Keep in mind that your selling situation is unique. Let a qualified Real Living listing agent work with you through the steps to selling your home.

In the interim, here are some do's and don'ts for deciding when to sell:

• DO give serious thought to when would be ideal for you. Consider your family, your lifestyle and all the other happenings in your life.
• DON'T base your decision to sell strictly on the season. Or your mother's advice or your neighbor's, for that matter.
• DO spend time to prepare your home for sale.
• DO consider whether your area is in a buyer's market (with more houses for sale) or a seller's market (with more buyers than houses). You'll probably sell a bit faster in a seller's market.
• DON'T forget to consider the buyer. Remember what attracted you to your home and figure out when's the best time to showcase that.
• DO talk with your agent about his/her thoughts on the timing of your home sale. S/he has an immense amount of experience and can provide wise and thoughtful insight.

And, if you find that you want and need some hard facts and figures to help you make your decision, ask your Real Living listing agent for a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Using the data from the report (which includes attributes and selling prices of comparable houses that have been listed for sale, recently sold, or expired from the market), your agent can identify buying trends in your area. Together you can look at the data, talk about your choices and narrow your options until you've made a decision that's right for you.