Market Bloom: The Best Time to List is Almost Here

Spring is the best time to sell your house. If you’ve been putting off selling all winter, waiting for buyers to wake from hibernation, spring has officially arrived, and now is the time to be preparing your house for market. Are you ready to list?

Experts at realtor.com looked at seasonal trends from recent years (excluding 2020 as an uncharacteristic year due to the onset of the pandemic) and determined the ideal week to list a house this year:

“Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2023 is approaching quickly. The week of April 16-22 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year.”

With only a few short weeks until the ideal listing window, if you’re planning to sell, now is the time to make those last minute updates to get your house ready and looking its best. Here’s what you should keep in mind when it comes to getting your house ready for listing.

WHAT UPDATES SHOULD YOU MAKE?

In February, realtor.com asked more than 1,200 recent home sellers what updates they made to their house before listing it (see graph below):

Your individual needs will vary, but this graph gives a general idea of what other sellers are focusing their time and efforts on improving in their properties before listing. In order to determine what you should spend your time and effort improving, speak with your trusted real estate professional, because they will have insights into which updates add the most value in your area, and help to alleviate and eliminate buyer deal-breakers as much as possible.

SHOULD YOU STAGE YOUR HOUSE?

Once you’ve finished working on your house, it’s time to think about presentation. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 82% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. A buyer who can see themselves living in your house is a buyer more likely to buy. Homes that are staged typically sell faster and for a higher price because they help potential buyers more easily picture their new life in the house.

ARE YOU READY TO LIST?

The spring market is upon us, with sales set to pick up dramatically in the coming weeks. If you’re looking to sell your house, there is no better time than right now to contact your trusted real estate agent, and start getting your house ready to sell quickly and easily.