When Should I Put My Home on the Market?

This is a question I’ve been getting a lot lately.  It’s a question I typically get in a normal winter market but one that I seem to be getting a lot more in THIS winter market.

There are two schools of thought.  School A is the homeowner who wants to keep/put their home on the market during the winter months in order to take advantage of less “supply” in the market.  This way you can take advantage of being one of few that appeal to the buyers who are currently looking.  Problem is the number of buyers out looking is down as well as we take time off to enjoy friends, family and holiday cheer.

School B is what we typically run into.  Those who want to wait until the market picks up in the spring.  Yeah, me and everyone else will be listing but my place is better than everyone else’s so I have nothing to fear.  Positives here are that there are more buyers but of course there is also more competition.  And I hate to say it but maybe, just maybe, there is a place out there that said buyers might like better than yours.

So what do we do?

I wish it was that easy.  Each home and homeowner is going to be different.  If you NEED to move then don’t wait.  If you have time then talk to a professional and weigh your options.  If your home is “unique” you may benefit from less competition.  If you wait you may have to price lower to stand out.  We can go over 1,000’s of scenarios but it is a good discussion to have.

All I’d like to really emphasize is don’t wait just because your neighbor or co-worker is waiting.  If you know you’re going to list your home this year you should start thinking about and preparing yourself as soon as possible.

Hope all is well and Happy New Year!!