When is the Best Time To Sell A House?

Looking at when the best time to sell a house is, the pros and cons of selling in each season as well as which properties sell best at different times of the year...

Selling your house is one of the most stressful events a person can go through, so it is not surprising that when selling your home you look for any way to ease the pressure off and make the sale easier. It can leave you looking at ways to attract more buyers or even googling when the best time to sell a house is.

If this is you then fear not, as we will be looking at when exactly the best time to sell a house is, the pros and cons of selling in each season as well as which properties sell best at different times of the year.

When Is The Best Time To Sell A House?

Whilst different times of the year each have their pros and cons, spring is usually regarded as the best time of year to sell your house.The main reason for this is thought to be because it does not fall around any school or public holidays, meaning people have nothing else going on to distract them from their house hunt.

Another plus point that spring brings is that gardens are often in full bloom making them look much more attractive than they would in winter.

What About The Other Seasons In The Year?

Summer Unlike spring, summer is unsuited to the house selling market. Summer holidays are a big factor in this, with people spending money on holidays and looking after the kids, it doesn’t leave much time for house hunting. July and August tend to be the slowest months taking 65 days on average to sell according to estateagent4me average speed of sale data.

Autumn –Surprisingly autumn can be a good time to sell. If you are lucky the weather will be mild and there are no major holidays to contend with for attention. October is hailed as a good month for a quick sale.

Winter- can be another tricky season to sell in, as the run-up to Christmas is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, leaving not much room for anything else. If you don’t plan on putting your home on the market before December, it is most likely worth waiting until January when people are starting to think of the new year and make changes to their lifestyles. According to estateagent4me, January has been one of the best months on average to secure a speedy sale taking around 60 days on average.

What Is The Best Month To Put Your House On The Market?

According to an analysis by The Advisory, who got their data from Rightmove, suggests that March is the best month to sell your house on the market.

The Advisory said that houses that were put up for sale during March sold in the quickest amount of time, taking only 57 days to go under offer.

Just as seasonal variations have an effect on the housing market, as do regional variations. Before putting your house on the market, it is worth checking if the council has granted planning permission for any work nearby as trying to sell your home whilst building or road works are taking place may have a knock-on effect on your sale.

Projects to watch out for include:

• Major construction projects

• New roads

• A block of flats being built next door

• A planned telephone mast that will obstruct the view from the living room

Should you find out about any of these projects, then your buyer’s solicitor will definitely catch wind of them as well. If this happens then you can expect potential haggling over price.

Best Properties To Sell At Different Times Of The Year

However, the best time to sell your house is not so cut and dry. As a rule of thumb, the best time to sell your house month-wise is March, but that doesn’t mean this is the case for every house. Each property has different qualities which make them better suited to being sold at different times of the year.

1 & 2 Bed Flats And Terraces

If you are selling a 1 or 2-bedroom flat or terrace, your ideal buyer is a first-time buyer or a young couple. Because this is the case, your best time to sell your house is January, February, or September. The reasoning behind this is that these buyers are motivated by one last Christmas at home being one too many and that the new year brings in new change for most people. They are also looking on the market after the summer holidays in the hope that they could be in their new home by Christmas.

3 & 4 Bed Family Homes

If you are selling a 3 or 4-bed family home, then your target buyers are second steppers who already have or are planning to have children. If this is the case then the best time to sell is outside of the school holidays. This is because during the school holidays the buyers will be too busy with sorting out childcare to add house hunting to their list of jobs.

Bungalow

If a bungalow is the property you wish to sell, your target buyers are elderly downsizers. The best time to sell your property according to The Advisory is during warm summer months, from June to September.

How Can I Ensure A Quick Sale?

There are many steps you can take to ensure a quick sale of your property, whether it is a prime season to sell or not.

Presentation

This may seem like an obvious step, but the presentation of your house plays a major role in how fast it will sell on the open market. The better your property looks, the more people will be interested in it. The main changes you can make to your house are to make sure that the garden is neat, clean the windows, tidy the house and make sure that it smells fresh.

Decorating

Whilst it can take effort, a fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference. Touching up any paintwork or wallpaper that is a little tired can bring your house back to life and have potential buyers lining up around the block.

Home Improvements

Home improvements are a slightly more difficult area to tackle. You want to be able to make a difference to your home but you also don’t want to spend a fortune on repairs and changes. When people are looking at new homes, the areas that catch the most attention are kitchens and bathrooms. Whilst these will improve the saleability of your home, they are the most expensive areas to improve.

Choosing The Right Team

When selling a house, it is important for everyone to be motivated and quick. You will need an estate agent who is eager to sell, a solicitor who is ready to act quickly, and a RICS surveyor that can be at the property as soon as possible. It is also important that you pick a buyer who is motivated and wants to keep the sale moving along as fast as possible.

Cash Buyers

A cash buyer is the most effective way to ensure you have a smooth and quick sale. A cash buyer is the best route to go down for a quick house sale as they have the funds to buy your house outright and can complete the sale in a time frame that suits you.

Does this sound like something you would be interested in?

Here at The Property Buying Company, it is always the best time to sell your house! We pride ourselves on guaranteeing quick, hassle-free house sales no matter what time of the year.

We only require one quick viewing to make sure that our cash offer is accurate and as we are a genuine cash buyer, once you have accepted our offer that is the amount you get in your bank in FULL!

We are also a member of the National Association of Property Buyers and The Property Ombudsman, as well as being rated excellent on Trustpilot, with over 1000 reviews, allowing you to feel safe in our hands.

So, if you are ready to sell your house regardless of the season, give us a call or fill in our online form for a free, no-obligation CASH offer which we could have in your bank as soon as you choose…