It is one of the oldest debates in the history of owning your property and house.  When is the best time to sell my house.  When is the best time to sell my own house FSBO, if that’s what I decide to do.

We are located in a part of the country where there are actually four seasons, although many areas have fewer, i.e. less variation in temperatures through the year.  Those areas probably don’t have this debate so much, but especially around here, selling a house is no small task, and it is important to do things right.

Both bears and people come out of hibernation at some point when the winter is over, and they start foraging for food and new houses.

Written by Don Martin.  For his updates go here.

All people and periodicals have ideas about peak buying/selling months.  My company and I have experiences what seems to be a continuation or a strong 2018 here at the beginning of 2019.  March, so far this year is the equivalent of what April and May would have been in previous years.

My theory continues to be that the month you need to sell is the best month for you, so don’t make excuses, just do it.  Five other real estate people might have five other ideas.

For instance, The Motley Fool reflects many opinions of authors and blogs that the spring is the best time.

“What’s the Best Time to Sell a House?
Time to move to a new home and unload your current one? Here’s what you need to know about selling.

Maurie Backman
(TMFBookNerd)
May 31, 2018 at 7:55PM

Many of us buy our homes thinking we’ll live there forever. But sometimes our circumstances change, and when they do, we’re faced with the potentially daunting task of selling our home and moving elsewhere.

If you’re looking to sell your house, you may be wondering when’s the best time of the year to do so. And there are several factors that go into that equation.
First, you have your own family’s needs to consider. You may want to time your move to coincide with the end of the school year, for which selling in the spring or summer makes sense. You should also take the local real-estate market into account and aim to list your property at a time that’s likely to give you the best sale price and appeal to a large number of prospective buyers. For example, if the number of homes sold in your neighborhood has historically peaked in April, then that’s a good month to aim for.
Here, we’ll delve into the benefits and drawbacks of listing your house at various points during the year so you can land on the ideal time to sell it.

The best time to sell a home, according to national data

Zillow reports that the best time to sell a house to get the highest price and minimize time on the market is in the spring — specifically, during the first half of May. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Though homes listed for sale during this window sell nearly two weeks faster than average, and for an extra $2,500 to boot, a big part of that has to do with weather-related factors.

In parts of the country where all four seasons exist, spring has the advantage of attracting potential buyers who are done hibernating and are ready to do the legwork of visiting homes in person. Houses also tend to have more curb appeal in the spring, when flowers are blooming and grass is vibrant and green. But in some parts of the country, seasonal weather doesn’t come into play nearly as much, and if that’s what you’re dealing with, you’d be wise to work with a local real-estate agent to understand what factors influence home prices and time on the market in your area.

That said, on a national level, here’s what home prices averaged over the past year:

As you can see, prices peaked during the warmer weather months, and declined during the fall and winter. Keep in mind, though, that mortgage rate changes can play a role in determining home prices as well. When mortgage rates climb, buyers often get spooked, so there’s less demand for homes, thus driving down prices. Still, this data can give you a general sense of how the housing market tends to fare seasonally.

Incidentally, Zillow reports that the best day of the week to list a home for sale is Saturday. From a buyer availability standpoint, that certainly makes sense. As such, Saturday and Sunday are also the best days to host an open house.

Selling your house in the spring

As stated above, spring is a popular time to sell a home because as the weather gets warmer, buyers are more willing to go out and explore. The benefit of selling in the spring is that the weather will generally cooperate. Therefore, if your house offers nice curb appeal, it’ll be most evident during that season. Furthermore, preparing your home for a sale might be easiest during the spring, assuming you’d most likely rather not be repainting your fence or staining your deck when it’s broiling or freezing outside. (Keep in mind that certain exterior maintenance items, including the just-mentioned examples, often can’t be performed in extreme temperatures anyway.)

Another good reason to sell your house in the spring is that families with children generally prefer to move at a time when the school year won’t be disrupted — namely, summer. However, it usually takes 30 to 60 days or more from the time a home contract is signed to the time its actual closing date arrives. Therefore, families eager to move during the summer will need to find and make offers on their homes several months prior.

On the flipside, selling your home during the spring could work against you if your neighborhood is saturated with competition. This especially holds true if your property doesn’t have any distinguishing features that give it an edge. By contrast, if you sell at a time that’s less popular, you might land in a scenario where your house is the only one of its kind on the market for months. If you have buyers who are desperate to move to your area and can’t wait, you stand to command a higher price.”

Again, at the risk of repeating myself, there are different reasons to move your residence.  Whatever your reason determines the month you need to move.  That is the month that is best for you. There are no truly bad months.  Over thirty plus years, I have seen all months be good months at one time or another.  And any month is a good month to sell your own house if that is your desire.

Written by Don Martin.  For his updates go here.

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