The Best (and Worst) Day to List a Home

When is the best time to list a house? Different people will have different opinions, but it’s true that you can make more money on your home sale simply by strategically planning the season, day, and time when you’ll put your home on the market. If you have some flexibility in your timeline, you can maximize your profits by planning ahead and listing your home at the right time. This article will help you determine when is the best time to list a house.

Sales prices are normally higher than average during the late spring or early summer. There are several reasons why this seems to be the best time of year to sell. By the end of April, most people have their tax refunds back and are willing to include the extra cash in their down payment. Families with young children are eager to move when the school year ends since they won’t have to pull their kids out of classes. Moving at this time also allows them to spend the rest of the summer settling into their new home before classes resume in August. Others are simply excited to get out and shop for homes when the temperatures begin to warm up, especially after spending the winter cooped up inside.

The market is usually pretty slow between November and February. The same families that were eager to move during the summer are now busy shuttling kids back and forth between school and extracurricular activities. Others are distracted with end-of-year work goals and upcoming holiday plans. Homes still sell during these months, but at a slower pace than in the summer. Sellers often find that they must experiment with creative marketing strategies and price drops if they want to generate more interest in their home sale. Try to avoid these months if you can.

There are two schools of thought. Some people think it’s better to list a home earlier in the week to allow for more time to schedule in-person showings or make plans to attend an open house. Others believe that people are more likely to check for new homes later in the week as the weekend draws closer. Listing a home on Thursday seems to offer an acceptable compromise between the two options. You’ll still catch people who primarily shop for homes during the week after they get off work, and you won’t be too far down the list if someone is waiting to shop for homes until the weekend.

It’s usually not a good idea to put a home on the market on Sunday. Most buyers won’t check for new listings on Sunday because they are busy attending open houses or private showings. If they aren’t shopping for a home, they may be busy with other projects, or they might be spending time with family. They probably aren’t checking for new homes. Monday also isn’t the best day to put a home on the market because most people won’t be able to schedule a showing until the upcoming weekend, even if they are interested in the home.

Many people recognize that Thursday is a good day to put a home on the market, and you’ll often see several new listings hit the market early Thursday morning. The problem is that most people aren’t able to check for new listings until after they get off work at the end of the day. If someone logs on to look at homes at the end of the workday and you listed your home earlier that morning, you could already be several houses down the list when they begin shopping. To avoid this problem, you should list your home in the late afternoon. Target 5 pm if possible. This way, you’ll have a better chance of being at the top of the list when most people log on to look at homes in the evening.

Think about possible upgrades you could make to your home that will raise your ROI and help your home stand out on the market. If you already know where you’ll price your home, you can look at similarly priced homes on the market to see if any trends or patterns develop. Your home will need to check these boxes when you put it on the market if you don’t want to stand at a competitive disadvantage. You can also research which projects provide the best ROI. Most homeowners find that minor kitchen and bathroom renovations, as well as any upgrades that make their home more energy-efficient, can provide a solid return.

 

You can also start thinking about how you’ll stage your home. Perhaps you choose to hire an interior designer or professional home stager, or maybe you choose to do the work on your own. A few easy tips are to take down professional pictures and bring more natural elements into your home.

When you decide that the time is right to sell, reach out to Laura Rice, and she will be happy to help you. Laura has spent the last ten years bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience into every transaction she’s been involved with. Her clients often ask her about when is the best time to list a house, and she helps them strategically plan the timing of their sale based on her knowledge of the market and the industry. She would love to help you with your sale.

Recommended reading: Buying and Selling Your Home Quickly