Summer is a busy time for real estate in the Treasure Valley, but is it the best time for you to sell your home? Sellers want to list their homes at the best time of the year so they can sell quickly for the best price. Summer is a convenient time for many people, long daylight hours and nice weather are good for showing off the interior of your home and relocating before school starts is ideal for families with young children. However, there are pros and cons to any season for the real estate market, and often one season will be better in one state versus another.
Spring is considered to be a wonderful time for selling a home. The weather warms up from the cold of winter, flowers and budding trees add to curb appeal, prices increase as demand starts to build, and the soft light of spring illuminates house interiors in the best ways. Since Spring is such a good time for sales, that also means that there will be more competition on the market, contractors and designers will be kept busy and potentially will be hard to schedule, and windy, stormy Spring days can make it hard to keep your home looking show-ready.
Summer has easier scheduling of contractors and less wild weather to combat. Homes sold in July and August sell faster than in any other month of the year, over 5 days quicker on average, and Summer sales have made up 40% of historical real estate sale volume. Buyer demand is high in the Summer months, and bright daylight will show off your home well into the evening. The often oppressive heat will sometimes scare off all but dedicated home buyers and make it difficult to work on keeping your home show-ready, and there will still be plenty of competition to combat, as well as many people taking vacations which interfere with showings and paperwork. However, moving is far easier in the summer because of the more predictable weather and if you have vacation days off from work, why not use them to get into your new home?
Autumn’s colorful foliage and mild lighting can bring appeal to listed homes, and there is less competition on the market as inventory drops from Summer’s peak. Homes still sell fairly fast and prices can be higher in October-November compared to other months of the year. People want to buy and sell their homes before the busyness of the holidays, but buyer interest will begin to fade by the end of the Autumn months, and there is also the constant outdoor cleanup to take into account.
Winter’s cold and harsh conditions usually mean fewer buyers are venturing out in search of a new home, but those that brave the temperatures and busyness of the holidays are committed and ready for home-buying. There is significantly less competition on the market, and holiday décor can make the interior of your home warm and inviting. Prices tend to drop in the Winter months, and homes can take much longer to sell than in other months, but with motivated buyers, there may be less waiting time after a showing until the final sale happens.
The best time to sell your home is honestly the time that works best for you and your lifestyle! If you’ve got young kids at home, Summer may be the best time, before school starts up again. Or maybe Autumn and Spring’s soft lighting and mild weather appeal to you more as you ready your house for showings. Whatever you decide, we at Treasure Valley Real Estate are more than happy to help you with the whole buying and selling process; we want to help you find the home of your dreams.