What Makes Selling Your House in Winter a Good Idea?

Central Ohio Real Estate Podcast with Susanne Casey

Selling your home during the winter offers many advantages that I want to talk about today.

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Typically, the winter doesn’t seem like a good time to sell a house because the weather is cold and dark. Most people think it’s better to wait until the spring. However, winter is actually a great time to sell your house, and there are eight reasons why:

1. There is less competition. Most sellers don’t put their homes on the market during the first or last couple months of the year. If there are buyers in your local market, you may be at an advantage by selling while others wait.
You may be at an advantage by selling while others wait for spring.
2. You have more time to get top dollar. Because you’re marketing your home early, you may be able to secure a higher price. While a typical buyer might have 30 homes to compare and choose from in June, there may be only 10 homes that fit their criteria in January.
3. January is the biggest transfer month. Did you know that corporate moves and job relocations happen more in the month of January than any other month? These transferees can’t afford to wait until spring; they need to buy a home now.
4. You will have more serious buyers. This means you won’t need as many showings and the buyers that show up will be far more qualified.
5. It might give you first dibs on the spring inventory. You’re set apart from the pack in this scenario because you’re not worried about your house selling.
6. Homes show better during the holidays. The fact that your home is (presumably) decorated for the holidays will increase it’s potential to give off a warm impression on buyers.
7. You have more showing flexibility. People understand that you might be entertaining over the holidays, so you can control the traffic that comes in and out of your house. However, keep in mind that relocation buyers work on a limited timeframe.
8. Changing dynamics in home buyer searches. People typically justify not listing in the winter because there are fewer daylight hours and bad weather inhibits buyers from wanting to see homes. This line of thinking isn’t as relevant as it has been in the past, though. According to the National Association of Realtors, nine out of 10 home buyers search for homes online at their workplaces, on their smartphones, and from within the confines of their own homes after dark. Time and time again, we see online traffic surge during January.

If you have any questions or are thinking about selling, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us so we can show you the latest technology we use to get our sellers top dollar in any market. We look forward to hearing from you!