Okay folks. It’s time to set the record straight. I’ve recently had multiple people tell me that they are ready to sell their home, but that they want to wait to list their home until summer when their grass is green. In other words, when the exterior of their home is looking its best. A common myth is that these things will increase the resale value of your home, but I’d argue that spring, not summer, is really the best time to list your home.
Right now buyers are over the hubbub of the holidays and are experiencing Cabin Fever from being stuck inside their homes throughout the winter. They’ve likely been cooped up, dreaming about how much more space or function they could have in a different home. A lot of sellers, on the other hand, are mistakenly holding their homes off the market until summer time. This creates a sellers’ market – this means that there are more buyers than there are homes on the market.
When summer comes you’ll see an uptick of the number of active homes and new listings hitting the market. For instance, in March you may only have two homes in your neighborhood competing against your home. Fast forward a month or two and you may have six homes to compete against. That makes your home more valuable NOW. I’d be willing to argue that you can get a premium price on your home and sell it faster if you list it in the spring than the summer. Another bonus? You get to move when it’s 65 outside instead of 105!
If you’ve been thinking of selling your home – even just considering the possibility – reach out to us. I’d love to come and visit with you about what you need to do, or not do, before listing your home and what your home is worth.