In a nutshell, the right time to sell varies by neighborhood and city. However, according to Bankrate, quoting ATTOM, the best month to sell a house is in May.
However, May is not always the best time for every situation. You must take several factors into consideration. A real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Properties can help you determine the best time of year to sell a house.
Since you already know that the best month to sell a house is in May, you have to ensure the economic factors line up. The factors you need to take into consideration include:
As of the third quarter of 2022, interest rates are rising and have been rising for most of the year. If you plan on selling in the spring, you should take note of the interest rates now and watch for them to decrease. Even if they only decrease a part of a percentage point, you will have a better chance of selling for a higher amount and faster.
Without job growth, people may be afraid to spend money, especially when it’s time to purchase the biggest investment in their lives. Instead of putting your home on the real estate market as a spontaneous decision, plan it ahead of time so you can watch job growth numbers and other factors that change from month to month.
Always pull your information from a reliable site, such as BLS.gov, instead of listening to how your favorite news channel spins the numbers. However, be careful how the government lists its growth and unemployment rates. Long-term unemployment – over 27 weeks – may not have declined because people went back to work, but instead because they can no longer collect unemployment.
If you invest in stocks and pay attention to them, you know they are fickle. The bottom could fall out at any time. Or, the stocks could skyrocket. Instead of looking at a day or even a week or month at a time, look at what the stocks have done over a year. If despite steep drops, the stocks have increased overall, it shows confidence in the economy.
The local home-buying and selling activity is always changing. Some people do their homework to determine the best time of year to sell a house, others make spontaneous decisions, and others are forced to move and do not have a choice because of a job transfer or a sick relative.
Your Berkshire Hathaway real estate agent can help you determine when it is the best month to sell a house. If the difference isn’t too large, it might be more prudent for you to sell sooner rather than later.
When everything else lines up, you also have to take the season into consideration when determining the best time of year to sell a house.
Buyer demand usually peaks in the spring since people want to move while their children are out of school. However, inventory also increases, which means you have more competition. If everything lines up for you to sell in the spring, you should make your house stand out by making sure it has curb appeal. While we are taught not to judge a book by its cover, you know that it rarely happens when selling a house.
First impressions are a big deal when selling a house. Make sure your real estate agent knows why your house is special. In fact, you should tell your agent why you love the house. It might help him or her write a description that tugs at another family’s heartstrings.
The competition on the real estate market remains high, but people are more motivated because it’s getting closer to the start of school. People may be more likely to settle for something that is not 100 percent to their expectations. Depending on your location, this could significantly benefit you in time on the market and at a higher price.
Competition among sellers starts to drop, as does real estate activity. Many people found a house in the spring or summer, and others are taking their homes off the housing market for the winter. However, this could be a boon for you if you list in the fall. Since the inventory is lower – people have fewer homes to choose from – it could mean a fast sale for you. While most people like to try to move during the spring or summer, there are those who are spontaneous and those who are forced into moving because of their jobs or other reasons.
If the other factors line up, selling in the fall could mean a faster sale, especially if you have a home that is harder to sell.
Winter is when home sales really slow down. However, you again have off-season buyers because they may have been forced to move or just like being spontaneous. We found that those who buy in the off-season are often more qualified and serious.
Additionally, home sales often slow down because the sellers can’t show off their homes like they would like to be able to. You won’t see lush landscaping, the pool won’t be open, and it’s also hard to create curb appeal with landscaping and exterior updates if it’s too cold.
You may have heard the terms “sellers’ market” and “buyers’ market” tossed around. Just what do these terms mean, and why do you need to know about them?
When the number of properties for sale is greater than the number of people looking for a home, you have a buyers’ market. Because there are plenty of homes to choose from, your home tends to stay on the local market longer. Thus, it’s more important to make your home stand out among the rest of them for sale.
How do you fight the uphill battle of selling in a sellers’ market? You’ll probably get more feedback from buyers – and some of it might not be good. Just remember that because you love something about the home, it doesn’t mean everyone is going to like it. Don’t take it personally. You should also get ready to hear some lowball offers. You do not have to accept any offer you don’t like. People believe you might accept a lowball offer just to get out from under the house. Don’t be afraid to tell your real estate agent it’s a firm “No.”
If you have some wiggle room on the price, you might consider a lower offer. Or, if you don’t, you might work with your real estate agent to consider other concessions, such as offering a convenient closing date, including appliances, or waiving certain contingencies.
You can also choose to wait it out. Some people put their home on the housing market during the spring and summer, remove it during the late fall, and relist it during the spring.
In a sellers’ market, more people are looking for homes than available homes. The inventory is low. You will most likely sell faster and at a higher price. Because you may receive several offers, you could sell for the listing price or even higher.
This doesn’t mean you should skimp on making the home presentable and desirable. As you would in a buyers’ market, make sure the curb appeal is there and you do any upgrades possible. You can only get more for your home if it’s more desirable. You could even start a bidding war among two or more buyers.
Regardless of when you decide to sell your home or which type of market it is, you should expect to fix certain things. Updates, if you can afford them, it helps a home to sell, regardless of the best time of year to sell a house. However, before you tackle updates, be sure you have taken care of repairs that an inspector will find. If you don’t, the home buyer will most likely ask you to come down on your price, especially if the repair is major, such as a roof or air conditioning unit.
Other mandatory repairs include cosmetic repairs that help make the home give a good first impression, such as window screens, exterior paint, and updating fixtures.
Some of the updates you might consider include:
Ask your real estate agent to give you an hour or two notice – or more, if you need it – before showing so that you can make sure everything is in its place and the house is sparkling. This is especially important in a buyers’ market. Your home has to be nearly perfect to attract the interest of someone who might be choosing between two or more homes.
Selling a home is usually stressful for most people, and if it is not the best time of year to sell a house, but you are forced into it because of a career move or another reason, it becomes more stressful.
When you trust a California Properties real estate agent with your home sale, you know that he or she will be looking out for your interests and will work to sell it as quickly as possible for the best price possible. Find a California Properties real estate agent with the skills and experience you need to sell your home.
Sources: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Time Square Chronicles, Bankrate, Attom
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September 19th, 2022 at 11:00 am