Winter can be a real cool time to sell
So, you are thinking of putting your home on the market.
Is this the right or the wrong time to list your home for sale? Will it sell right smack in the middle of the storm of the year? It may seem like an unreasonably tough time to make a sale — but selling in winter just might prove to be to your advantage.
Because of the myth that no one buys a home in the winter, many sellers wait for blue skies and warm temperatures before putting their homes up for sale. The problem in waiting is that the person meant to buy your place will not even know your home is for sale when he or she buys one that is for sale.
When the right person sees the right home at the right time — it is over. And that time can be any time of the year — even over holidays. Even Christmas Eve.
It’s easy to understand the reluctance of listing a home in the winter. The holidays are special times with family and friends. However, interruptions from a REALTOR® wanting to show your home can be easily handled during these special times. You and your listing agent can work out a timing program that will be satisfactory with you.
The key box, which allows entry by every agent that’s a member of the Spokane Association of REALTORS® to show your home, can be removed at your special times and put back when showing will be more convenient. These schedules can be easily coordinated to everyone’s advantage. You do want to sell your home and when that special person wants to buy your home, it’s best to work together with your agent. You can handle the logistics on available timing because most of the special holidays are clustered in a three-week period. The rest of the time can be used to showcase your home.
Moving over the holidays when making a sale can be avoided, too. Your agent can negotiate a closing date that would be satisfactory with both parties. The buyer may want to close early to get a better interest rate on his loan, etc. This can be handled by renting from the new buyer for a designated time after closing. Everyone wins.
Another good reason to consider selling in the winter is that your competition with other homes will be less as there are generally fewer homes on the market. Those who want to sell but who have not listed their homes with a REALTOR® believe the myth that you can’t sell a home with snow on the ground. They won’t bother listing until everyone else is also putting their home on the market. By bucking the trends that most believe, your home should be on a shorter list that REALTORS® will wish to show their clients. It’s just numbers. Buyers shopping the home market will find fewer homes.
Of course, if you’re not in a hurry to sell, waiting until spring to list your home along with many others will work — but you may have missed your buyer by not being listed for sale. Buyers generally will have less of an inventory to choose from during the winter months.