“When is the best time to sell my home?” This is one of the most frequent questions I receive, and the answer depends on your reason for selling, the features of your home and the market. For starters, let’s differentiate between selling your home (that you live in) and selling another property that you do not live in.
When you are selling your personal home, there are usually other motivating factors that determine your timing. For example, a career change, a change in family status or perhaps you’ve just found your dream home and wish to make a change. For most of us, these personal circumstances likely require a fairly quick sale and not a lot of wiggle room on the timing, especially if you need the equity out of your current home, to purchase the next one. The good news is that if you are selling and buying at the same time, you don’t need to be quite as concerned with whether the market is high or low, as the sale & purchase will likely balance out those factors. Consult with your Realtor® to see how the timing will impact you.
If your plans do not involve purchasing another home right away and if you have the luxury of choosing when to sell, then it makes more sense to place value on the timing in the calendar year. The market is always changing, but most often in our local community we see the strongest seller’s market in the late winter and early spring. While this timing is fairly safe, keep in mind that there are no guarantees in life. All we need to do is look back at the spring of 2020 (pandemic pause) and the winter/spring of 2023 (rain/flooding) to know that outside forces can have great impact on the market. Thankfully, we live in California and most of our seasons are conducive to a successful sale, when a home is marketed well. It’s still best to check the calendar and avoid timing that corresponds directly to significant holidays.
Whether you are selling your home or another property, take a look at the features of the property to recognize what time of year the best features shine. For example, if your garden has a spectacular display of blooming trees or vines, you might want to think about timing accordingly. Perhaps fall color is your best show? If the property has a swimming pool, you will likely get a better response in the warmer season than you would in the winter. If the property does not have air conditioning, it’s best to avoid the hot summer months.
In recent years, fires and floods have been top of the news, affecting home values and insurance rates. If your property is in a location that can be perceived to be at risk, it would be best not to plan to sell in the risky season. Home buyers look at beautiful locations next to wooded open space and creeks very differently during fire season or a wet winter.
Real estate is still all about location and supply & demand. If the supply of homes for sale is quite low, it’s an excellent time to sell. If you have a property with a significant challenge in location or other unchangeable feature, you will get the best return and fastest sale by choosing to sell when the inventory of homes for sale is low. While you want to present your property at its very best, beware of focusing on the smallest of details in preparation, while the market is hot, and potentially missing your best timing. Overall, it’s best to make a plan for selling and then leave some room for flexibility.
Every home and selling situation is unique. Please feel free to reach out to me at 925-964-5010 or via email at
Lisa.Hopkins@Compass.com DRE#01111126 for a custom evaluation of your home and the timing that will likely bring you the best results.
By Lisa Hopkins-Cochran, Realtor® at Compass DRE#01111126
