What time of year should I sell my house?

Selling your home is a huge decision. Depending on your reason for selling, you may have flexibility over when your property is listed, so take a look below to find out when may be best for you.

Spring

Generally the most popular season for selling is Spring and as a result, there are more potential buyers to show interest in your property. This time of year is far enough away from Christmas and the upcoming summer holidays that people find they have the time to invest in preparing to move home. Properties will also view better as gardens start to come back to life and daylight gets longer.

Summer

Known to be one of the quieter seasons of the year, as people’s attention focuses on holidays and school breaks. If you are marketing your home at families, be aware that a lot will be looking to complete the move and settle in before the new school year starts in September. On the positive side, photos and viewings will look their best with the blue summer skys and gardens in full bloom – something to consider with the rise of online property listings and the pictures that accompany them.

Autumn

With people back from their summer holidays and still time to move before Christmas, property sales will generally see an increase in Autumn. The mild weather still makes for attractive sale photos and homes with extensive grounds can look particularly beautiful as the colours start to change.

Winter

Available property levels can be low as people focus on the upcoming festive period. Winter can be a difficult time to sell, with fewer active buyers in the market as people’s time is taken up by shopping, planning and organising for Christmas. Once into the new year and moving through to February, the number of properties for sale starts to rise and potential buyers begin their search for their new home.

There are no fixed rules on when you should sell your home, and whilst the seasons still influence the housing market, their impact isn’t what it once was. With the rise of online house hunting and the availability and ease of access to information of the latest properties for sale, home buyers can look at houses at any time of the year. Positive or negative news in the media can have more of an effect and the general consensus is that school holidays lead to quiet spells.

Ultimately, when you sell your house is up to you and will be dependent on your own situation.