Selling Your Home in The Winter
Selling your home in the Winter season may actually be a good idea.
According to statistics, the Spring season is the best time since you have a better chance of selling for over asking (the list price) and getting into contract.
But, the second best season to list a home? That would be the Winter months. According to Redfin’s new report, Spring just nudges out the Winter season.
Spring listings received 18.7 percent above the asking price while Winter listings were close behind at 17.5 percent. Also 48 percent of homes listed in the Spring sold within 30 days and 46.2 percent of homes in the Winter sold within those same 30 days, not much of a difference!
Summary of the statistics:
- Spring: 18.7% sold above list price
- Winter: 17.5% sold above list price
- Summer: 15.1% sold above list price
- Fall: 14.7% sold above list price
Some reasons why listing your house in the Winter months are good:
Some sellers are waiting until the Spring season to list their home, but by then other seller listings are also on the market.
Your house will stand out better in the Winter months with less houses on the real estate market.
Buyers that are buying need to do so, regardless of the temperature outside. They may need to move immediately, for example, to re-locate for work.
The Winter months in the San Francisco Bay Area are not frigid like in other parts of the country as it can be back East, thus not affecting the real estate market as much.
Buyers without children or of school age may not need to be settled in their new home before the school year starts, thus can begin their search at anytime.
The perceived notion that buyers can get a better deal in the Winter months (somewhat) will bring out serious buyers.
If you have thought of selling or buying your home right now, give me a call at 650 483-4932. Also, call so I can send you my brochure “Selling Your Home in the Winter” which, by Redfin’s statistics, is certainly not a bad idea.
