When is the best time of the year to sell a house?

As spring approaches in the property industry, the age old debate arises; when is the best time to sell a house? Just like the weather, the property industry is affected by seasonality, there are some months where houses sell much faster than others, with more buyers on the market. However, there are times when the property markets seems to go into hibernation, but does that mean there’s an opportunity due to less competition? While there are a lot of confusing arguments and counterpoints on this topic, read our seasonal house selling guide to help make the right decision for you.

Spring

As a general rule, springtime is considered the best time to sell your home fast. Coinciding with the start of the new financial year, the housing market is at its busiest with lots of potential buyers. With people free from the distractions of Christmas, it is the season to get deals done before the summer holidays. However, with lots of competition on the market, it may be difficult to get the price you are after. Nevertheless, spring is the season where your house looks its best. Gardens come into bloom, and the longer hours of daylight can really make the difference to how someone feels about your house. Find out how you can use your garden to incentivise a sale this spring.

Summer

The sunlight hours of spring only lengthen in summer, and this season can really emphasise key selling points of your house. Riverside properties make for perfect viewing in summer while sunlight can also make rural properties appear less isolated than in the colder months. The extended hours also make viewing times more flexible. Sadly house selling in this season isn’t always straightforward. Why? Summer is the season where people can be at their busiest. With summer holidays and children being off school, momentum with house selling can stutter and deals can become protracted. Something nobody wants to add to an already stressful situation. As a quieter time of the year, it may be worth using this time to add to your property, such as an attractive home office.

Autumn

In many ways, autumn is becoming the new spring. With summer over, there are fewer distractions for potential buyers, which can make it an ideal time to sell. With the weather keeping fair, gardens still look as attractive and days are not quite yet as short as they are in winter. However, it must be noted that deals have to be done quickly as the market generally grounds to a halt as soon as the Christmas season commences. To help with the smoothness of any potential deals, you may want to ensure you’ve carried out these three must-do autumn property maintenance checks.

Winter

Traditionally, the property market is at its slowest in wintertime, and you aren’t advised to try to sell your house during this period. With bad weather during this season at its peak, it may be worth flood proofing your home if you are at risk as it could ruin any chance of a house sale in the following spring. However, with Christmas being a time spent with loved ones and family, it is increasingly becoming a time where people’s interest in buying a new property surge. Interestingly, Boxing Day is one of the most popular days of the year in which people are searching online for their potential new homes. With fewer other houses on the market, you may find yourselves with less competition and serious buyers on the hunt for a quick sale.

Conclusion
Having considered all the seasons to sell your house, ultimately when to sell your house depends on what is best for you. Rather than wait for buyers and market conditions, it is important that you sell your house when you need to, and here at Vivo, we think that there is no time like the present. While you could bide time and select a specific season, sometimes there are factors, such as a building site next door, that are out of your control which could affect your sale. At Vivo, you won’t need a for sale sign grabbing the attention of all your neighbours for months on end. As specialist property buyers, we offer a quick sale that works for you, all year round.