Just Curious: Selling a House

I have bought all my houses in the fall/winter (November, January and December). My realtor has always said the people who are looking in the winter are motivated because who wants to just browse in the cold? I agree with school thing. I didnt have kids when we moved. Good luck!

I think spring would be a better time to put your house on the market. Not many people are looking at houses in the winter.

We just sold our house about a year and a half ago and our realtor told us that the spring housing market actually starts in February. We ended up putting our house on the market the week of Thanksgiving (stupid, I know) and we didn't get one showing until January. I think February or March is a good time. I know here in PA, the usual closing time is around 60 days, I think, so if someone buys in march or april, they probably won't actually move until may or june which would help with school situations.

What Sara said, the experts say spring is the time. Christy has it right, people don't want to disrupt school for their kids.

Talk to your realtor, but typically families like to move during summer so they don't disrupt their child's school schedules, so based on the fact it takes folks a while to make a decision, I'd think between now and end of February is a perfect time.

I've always been told now is a good time because its after the holidays but spring is good too.

Time? Like "time of year"?
Keep in mind that houses are "sitting" longer (especuially if they are not priced aggressively to sell, so if you're thinking "2012 spring move" I'd list it right away.

L.:

Get a home inspection done on your home...any deficiencies? Get them fixed. Then get an appraisal on the home after you have fixed any problems on the inspection...this will give you an indication on what is happening in your market in Maine - in YOUR neighborhood.

Putting a home on the market in January? I would...IF and ONLY IF houses are selling in my area. If they aren't? I'm not going to waste my time and efforts.

Most people look in Spring and Summer...however, there are MANY people who buy in the winter as well. I don't know Maine's market. I don't know if you are upside down in your home or anything else.

For me the first thing I would do - seriously - is get an inspection and then the appraisal....look around your area - are homes selling or sitting? if they are sitting - what would make your home stand out more than the others?

If you are itching to move - can you rent out first? Or do you already know where you want to buy? Have you been pre-approved for a loan and if so - can you afford it? Soooo many questions....only you can answer!!

GOOD LUCK!

Actually right now is a horrible time to put your house on the market. It is a buyer's market and your house will be worth less. To get the most bang for your buck I would wait a few years. Their are so many bank owned houses on the market people are tending to purchase those so they can get more bank for their buck.

I sold my house last spring, which my real estate agent said was the best time. Usually people get their income tax refunds by that time and are ready to act. Also, the weather warms and the houses just look better- grass is greener, flowers are in bloom, etc. These little things go a long way to make a home more sell-able.
He was right, too. We sold our house two weeks from the day we put it on the market. And we made money off of it, too! :)
Good luck.

I've sold two homes and, by far, spring is the best time to sell. The majority of people are looking then and it's warmed up some. Try end of March or beginning of April. GL.

If you plan on using an agent, you should consult them for the best answer as they are most familiar with your market. Good luck.

I'm on the other side as we're looking to buy a house. We're not in a time crunch so we're putting off looking until spring. The prospect of moving in winter does not sound appealing. I agree with the other ladies about doing any upgrades, cleaning clutter out, etc. now to get it ready, then list it in March or April.

A realtor in my neighborhood said that the only bad time to try to sell is around the holidays. Not many people are looking to move then. He did mention that people start looking well in advance of the spring, so that they can have everything settled by the time school starts.

Based on that, I think the timing is about perfect to list it now. Even if a couple doesn't have kids, I would think this is the time of year they'd start looking. When we bought our house, we started looking in early March and bought one in May. We didn't have kids at the time, so school wasn't a factor for us. I know many couples that were like us - buying a house because they are ready to start a family, not because they already have one.