When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in Ohio?

The month you pick to list your Ohio home for sale can make a surprising difference in how much you make and how fast it sells. How surprising? Based on historical sales data, if you list your $250,000 Cleveland home in June, you could sell it for nearly $17,000 more than the yearly average.

This post gives you a closer look at the best time to sell, what market trends you need to know about, and insider tips to help you sell your Ohio home faster and for more money.

Ohio housing trends

Your specific goals influence the best time to sell a house. Additionally, several factors influence home sale trends in the Buckeye State. Here are some Ohio sales trends that provide context to what might be the best time to sell a house in Ohio:

The median home price shows that Ohio has less expensive homes than the rest of the United States, attracting buyers looking for a reduced cost of living. Days on Market (DOM) measures the age of a real estate listing — from the time a home is listed to the time it’s under a sales contract. Ohio’s is just slightly above the national average, but the market heats up in spring.

Matt Wielgos, a top real estate agent serving Southwest Ohio, says, “The best month to sell a house in Ohio is the month you need to sell it. But, the Ohio markets tend to go into what I would call a hyperactivity mark in April and May.”

Ryan Moody, a top agent with The Ferarri Home Group, agreed with Wiegos and added that the Ohio real estate market heats “the May and June mark. That’s because families are finishing up school, and that’s when they can get everything cleaned up and put together.”

Now let’s take a closer look at the best times to sell, six specific selling trends you need to know about, and insider tips to help you sell your Ohio home faster and for more money.

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When is the best time to sell a house in Ohio?

The best time to sell a house in Ohio largely depends on your selling objectives. There might be a better month for selling fast and a month for selling for a higher price.

Another factor that goes into your selling experience is location. Thus, the best time to sell your home may depend on where you’re living in Ohio. Also, your community will have unique trends and factors that influence the best time to sell your home.

A seller’s market is a situation where homes are scarce, allowing sellers to keep prices high. Home sellers have an advantage in the Ohio real estate market. “We’re definitely in a seller’s market,” Moody says. “The sellers have to do less [to get their home sold].”

That means it might be a good time to profit from selling your home. “If you get in at the right time during the hyperactivity when demand is high and supply is low, you will maximize your home investment,” says Wielgos.

To give you a better idea, we’ve looked at actual real estate transaction data for 12 cities of different sizes that provide an overview of what might be the best times to sell your Ohio home and the possible benefits. Your selling results will vary depending on what’s happening in your market and other home-selling variables.

4 large cities in Ohio

4 mid-sized cities in Ohio

4 smaller cities or towns in Ohio

All charts based on historical home sales data, 2014-2021

Enter your city into our free online Best Time To Sell Calculator and check out the best times to sell your home in Ohio.

6 selling trends in Ohio

Motivated buyers are one trend that sellers should know about in Ohio. “Our market is getting so crazy that we’re seeing many creative things come through on offers,” says Moody. Some of the creative things you might see include buyers offering cash, waiving inspections, and paying a portion of fees.

An additional factor influencing selling trends in Ohio is the types of buyers.

“I am not seeing your typical first-time homebuyer. I am seeing people past thirty or forty who now want to get into a house,” says Wielgos. “Many first-time homebuyers I’m working with are competing with people who have purchased a home, built equity, and secured better financing.”

Business growth in Ohio is also contributing to the selling trends in the state. “It’s business-friendly and a good location,” says Moody. “The affordability factor is driving a lot of businesses here.”

Through our agent interviews and research, we compiled a list of six trends that can impact home sales and real estate transaction timing in Ohio:

1. Unlike some other states, the fall and winter are still good times to sell a house in Ohio. “Competition is lower in terms of properties on the market,” says Wielgos.
2. Work from home opportunities are becoming popular, so Ohio’s affordable housing prices attract buyers from more expensive states.
3. Like most places in the nation, people moving during the summer around the school year causes an influx of people into Ohio. The influx coincides and contributes to Wielgos’ observed “hypermarket” conditions.
4. When rent is high, buying a home might be an intelligent investment for Ohio college students. Ohio has several large universities across the state. Each summer provides a new crop of potential college students looking to buy a home.
5. Ohio has more people moving out than moving in. That means fewer potential buyers, so timing the best time to sell your home in Ohio is crucial.
6. A variety of companies call Ohio home. For instance, Cincinnati has the second-biggest children’s hospital in the nation and consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble. Also, Nationwide Insurance’s global headquarters is in Columbus. Cardinal Health calls Dublin home.

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Our data shows the top 5% of agents across the U.S. help clients sell their home for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent.

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Insider tips to help sell your Ohio home

No matter what time of year you decide to sell, or need to sell, here are some tips from our expert agents that can help you with a fast sale or get top dollar for your Ohio home.

Ohio buyers shopping for homes care about:

• Entertainment spaces, either as part of the living room or as a separate space, are gaining popularity.
• Even if you don’t have one now, stage a home office area. At a minimum, you should show a space that could be used as an office.
• Finish your basement. “A finished basement is almost required to compete in the market,” says Wielgus. The basement might be a good spot for an entertainment space.
• Get rid of the gray paint and laminate flooring. “Slowly but surely, people are not impressed by those things they once were.”
• Market the home’s outdoor space. “Outdoor living is a perk or something that would set a home apart from others,” says Wielgos. “Landscaping can set apart a house from another.”
• Maintenance on the interior and exterior makes your home stand out in Ohio’s market.

Answers to other Ohio home-selling questions

Are homes in Ohio appreciating faster or slower than in other states?

Ohio homes appreciated 11.1%, which is slightly lower than the national average of 14.5%.

Although more people are moving out of Ohio than in, the number of homes available to potential buyers is not that high. “We have an extreme lack of inventory in the nation, especially in Columbus,” says Moody. “There’s always going to be a demand for housing in Central Ohio because it’s affordable.”

See what your home might be worth using HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. Our free tool uses transaction data from multiple sources to create a real-time ballpark value estimate based on current market trends.

What if I need a fast sale and closing in Ohio?

If you’re facing a life change that requires a fast home sale or don’t have the time or money to make needed repairs, consider requesting an all-cash offer using HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform. Simple Sale provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition in Ohio.

You can skip the repairs and showings and close in as few as ten days. Complete a short questionnaire and receive a no-obligation cash offer within 48 hours.

What is the biggest mistake sellers make when selling a home in Ohio?

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make when selling a home in Ohio is to ignore minor problems with the house. “If you see any objection, fix it, take care of it,” says Wielgos. “Got a crack in your basement? Fill it. If you don’t, you will get lower and fewer offers.”

Cosmetic appeal matters when you attempt to sell your home. The market in Ohio makes some sellers think, “I’d rather not clean up or paint any walls,” says Moody. “You’re not going to bring in any traction.”

Find a top agent in Ohio for a successful home sale

Selling your home while the market is hot is the best time to sell your house in Ohio. The market heats up in late spring and early summer, the best times to sell your home for the most money or the fastest.

Here are some factors to keep in mind when selling your home in Ohio:

• The hyperactive market begins in April
• The school year influences buying trends
• Ohio is a seller’s market
• A finished basement might seal the deal for you

Now you know the best times to sell your Ohio home. One more question you might ask is, what’s the best way to sell? Our data shows that the top 5% of real estate agents across the U.S. sell homes faster and for as much as 10% more than the average agent.

Partner with a top Ohio agent using HomeLight’s free Agent Match platform. Our matching service tool analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs.

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