What’s the Best Time of Year to Sell Your House?

What’s the best time of year to sell your house? It’s a question that Lincoln, Nebraska real estate agent Joanne McCoy fields multiple times a week, if not daily, she says. “Is this a good time? Is this the best time? When’s the best time to sell?” she echoes.

Ask a group of homeowners which time of year is best to sell a house, and you’ll probably receive a mix of responses. Many homeowners assume spring and summer are the best times to sell, which is true in some markets but not all. And the “best” time can differ depending on your situation and selling objectives.

In this post, we’ll provide expert insights on how you can decide the best time of the year to sell your house. We’ll also share the pros and cons of selling a home in each of the four seasons because the universe doesn’t always allow us to pick when our life circumstances change.

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What’s the best time of year to sell your house?

According to historical sales data analyzed by HomeLight, Spring is typically considered the best time of year to sell a house in the U.S., but this broad answer comes with a basket of caveats that help or harm your home sale.

While it may be nice to try and time the market — to list your home on the perfect month and day for peak success — the best time to sell ultimately depends on your needs as the seller.

• The better question may be: “What’s the best information I need to sell my house in the spring, summer, fall, or winter?” Every season has its benefits and drawbacks for home sellers. (We’ll review these below.)
• Location matters, too: Sweltering summer conditions in desert states such as Arizona or New Mexico could hinder buyer traffic at your open house, while a mild Pacific Northwest summer may attract an encouraging number of buyers. The traditionally slow real estate month of December may actually be considered a good time to sell a house in some southern states like Florida, but that may also be true for some ski resort towns.
• An often-cited guideline in the real estate industry is: “The best time to sell your house will be the best time of year you enjoy it most.” Homes located in different climates and markets will have different seasonal timetables for selling.

To help you better plan your home sale, we asked McCoy, who works with nearly 70% more single-family homes than the average agent in her area, to share her expert insights into how different seasons affect the selling process.

Spring

Traditionally, as the winter chill thaws and spring bulbs appear, once-dormant homebuyers emerge from their wintery refuge. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), home sales tend to pick up around the same time the mercury starts rising. During pre-pandemic years, sales would increase as much as 34% between February and March. Prices also typically increase as demand quickens in the spring, adding a boost to sellers’ bottom lines. In more recent NAR research, the span of April 10-16 has shown to be good a good time for higher proceeds, with selling prices increasing 3.2% and higher, depending on the region.

According to HomeLight sales data, sellers coming out of the winter months also tend to sell their homes faster in March than in February — although not as quickly as the summer season. Homes sold in February sit on the market 10.38 days longer than average, while homes sold in March take only 4.92 days longer than average to secure a buyer.

If you’re selling and buying, see: 8 Pros and Cons of Buying a House in the Spring

While the current shifting market is more unpredictable, some real estate forecasters believe the spring 2023 housing market will return to more traditional seasonality, in which listed inventory will increase in March, April, and May, and carry through the summer season.

Along with warming temps that prod homebuyers from their homes and into open houses, McCoy says increasing daylight hours illuminate home interiors, transforming dark winter rooms into a coveted light and bright aesthetic. Mild spring temperatures and ample sunlight encourage vibrant gardens and plush emerald lawns that entice buyers with curb appeal.

With mild temperatures and an increase in buyer foot traffic, spring may seem like an ideal time to sell your home. However, your competition has the same idea, making it important to present your home in tip-top shape. And since spring weather signals the start of home improvement season, high demand for contractors and designers could make pre-sale repairs tough to schedule.

Benefits of selling in the spring:

• Homebuyer pool increases as buyers emerge from “hibernation”
• The number of home sales pick up, along with the average time to sell
• Blooming gardens and foliage help maximize curb appeal
• Increasing daylight hours allow for more home tours
• Warmer weather encourages buyers to get outside and tour homes

Drawbacks to selling in the spring:

• Competition with other listings begins to tighten as available homes for sale increase and buyers have more options
• Start of peak moving season, when it’s tougher to book a moving company or truck rental
• High demand for contractors, repair services, and other home improvement companies can make it difficult to schedule necessary pre-sale repairs

Summer

Many consider the summer months peak real estate season, and for good reason. The buyer uptick sellers see in spring shifts into overdrive when the long days of summer arrive. Here again, traditionally, the months of June, July, and August have the most action, as those months historically account for up to 40% of annual real estate sales volume. Home buying fervor normally peaks in June, says the NAR.

With higher interest rates and many would-be buyers balancing their needs and wants against inflation headwinds, the 2023 summer housing market may also be hard to predict. But while the overall sales volume may be less, according to a recent HomeLight survey of more than 1,000 top agents, buyer and seller activity should still pick up over in the summer months.

In the Northeast and Midwest markets, 7 out of 10 agents still describe their markets as “seller’s markets.” Agents in other areas were more likely to report a balanced market, including in the South Central region (41% balanced versus 32% seller’s) and Mountain region (45% balanced versus 29% seller’s).

Staying true to the laws of supply and demand, any time more buyers step up — such as in the summer months — prices will go up and homes stay on the market for less time. Homes that sell in July and August do so faster than other months out of the year, at 5.73 days and 5.58 days faster than the average, respectively, per HomeLight sales data. And summer prices spike slightly, averaging 1.41% higher than average selling price from June through August.

Prep Tip: See our 15-point Summer Home-Selling Maintenance Checklist

Children sporting swimsuits instead of backpacks give parents a hard deadline — families often prefer to close on a new house before the school buses rev their engines in the fall. As a seller, you’re also less likely during the dry summer months to encounter a downpour while loading a designer sofa into your moving truck.

Summertime home sellers tend to experience higher demand than during other seasons, but competition also increases as other homeowners hope to land a successful sale during this peak real estate wave. And sellers in notoriously scorching climates, such as southern states known for triple-digit afternoons, may want to devise a selling plan to work around intense summer heat, which could keep some buyers from venturing out for a home tour.

Benefits of selling in the summer:

• Buyer demand peaks in summer compared to other seasons
• Homes tend to sell for more money in the summer months
• Homes tend to sell faster in summer
• Peak daylight time keeps your home light and bright for longer home tour hours
• Families may prefer to move during the summer before kids go back to school, giving this demographic a deadline to purchase
• More listings on the market, which means more choices if you’re buying another home

Drawbacks to selling in the summer:

• Seller competition increases as other homeowners list their homes take advantage of high summer buyer traffic
• Warm weather can become unbearably hot, which could keep some buyers from venturing to open houses
• Dry weather may require frequent lawn and garden watering to maximize curb appeal

Fall

When the weather turns from balmy to brisk, sandals make way for sweaters and pumpkin spiced lattes. For McCoy, fall is her favorite season to sell a home. The season provides softer lighting, mild temperatures, and pretty weather foliage as a backdrop to your home, she explains. And “people can potentially get in and make their move before the holidays,” McCoy adds.

According to HomeLight’s nationwide sales data, while summer typically reaps the best proceeds, home sales that close in October and November can still garner slightly higher prices than other months in the year. The fall season also comes in second behind summer months if your goal is to sell quickly.

Despite this, buyer traffic tends to dip in the fall months, suggesting that serious buyers stick around after the summer rush. According to data obtained from ShowingTime, which tracks the average number of residential home showings on an active property listing, showing activity dropped by 44.8% nationwide between September 2022 and November 2022, compared to the spring selling months leading into summer. But hear again, depending on your home’s locations, fall may be the best time of year for you to sell your house.

Benefits of selling in the fall:

• Homes sell at prices that are higher than the average
• Less competition with other sellers as home inventory begins to fall from peak summer months
• Homes still sell relatively quickly, at only a slightly slower rate than the summer season
• Pretty foliage acts as an appealing backdrop
• Soft, natural fall lighting enhances your home
• More convenient to sell and move before the busyness of holiday travel and gatherings kicks in

Drawbacks to selling in the fall:

• Buyer demand begins to fade after the spring and summer upward trend
• More outdoor maintenance tasks to keep curb appeal inviting, from deadheading roses to raking leaves

Winter

Between kids on winter break and setting the table for a holiday feast, sellers and buyers alike may not want the hassle of moving when there’s already a flurry of year-end activity to contend with.

When looking at national data, winter sales figures trend lower than other times of the year. According to historical NAR data, the months of November through February tend to be the slowest months of sales activity, with January as the slowest. And according to HomeLight’s data, homes that sell in the months of December, January, and February spend more time on the market, on average. The worst month to sell if you’re in a rush? January, when homes sit on the market for 12.49 days longer than average.

Learn more: 11 Tips For Selling Your Home in the Winter at a Great Price

McCoy reveals that winter buyers tend to be more serious about finding a home, and sellers have less competition with fewer homes on the market during the cold season. “I feel like [buyers are] more in need of buying. Otherwise, why would they be looking in the winter months when it’s not ideal conditions?” she points out.

However, McCoy also notes that sellers may want to remain flexible about pricing in winter months since buyer demand drops along with the number of market listings. In some cases, it may be worthwhile “to settle for a little bit less just for the convenience of not having to be on the market that long, when the weather is not ideal or conditions are not as ideal.”

And while homeowners who list their home during winter months can entice buyers with inviting holiday decorations, McCoy points out that sellers should maintain their home for buyer tours. For example, keep walkways and driveways clear of snow and ice.

Benefits of selling in the winter:

• Homebuyers tend to be more committed and motivated
• Sellers have less competition, as fewer homeowners tend to list their home in the winter months
• Inviting holiday decorations can impress buyers by giving your home a warm and cozy feel

Drawbacks to selling in the winter:

• Prices tend to dip in the winter as buyers leverage seasonal buyer slowdown
• Your home may take longer to sell, on average
• The holiday season and events can distract buyers and make home tours inconvenient for sellers
• Inclement weather in certain regions could keep potential homebuyers from venturing out to tour your home
• Keeping your home at showing standard during winter storms (such as shoveling snow on walkways and managing mud) may be tough to maintain
• Curb appeal may suffer when surrounding trees are bare and snow melts into mud puddles

So what’s the best season to sell a home?

For best price: HomeLight’s nationwide market trends report suggests that you can expect the best price for your home if you list in January or February for a spring closing. Allowing for a 90-day timeline for marketing and closing, you’ll complete your home sale in April or May.

For speed: If selling quickly matters most, your best bet is to list your home in April or May to complete the sale by July or August. According to HomeLight’s data, you could sell your home five days faster than any other month.

Timed with location: While national data paint one picture, real estate trends remain hyper-local. Your location drastically impacts which season may be best to sell. For example, McCoy says job relocations for large employers, such as universities, could bring potential buyers to an area during a specific time of year, potentially bolstering buyer demand. Employees starting a new job in January, for example, would end up relocating to the area and searching for a home during the winter months.

Ask our “best time” calculator: For sales trends specific to your city, check out HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator. The free online resource reveals when homes in your area typically garner higher sales and fewer days on the market, which can help you net more money and sell in fewer days.

What fits the need: Sellers can achieve a successful sale regardless of the time of year. But your motivation for selling, along with the timing that works for your situation, ultimately dictate the best time of year to list and sell your home.

There are pros and cons to selling in any season, but what’s the best time to sell a house? The quick answer, according to McCoy: “Whenever you need to sell.”

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