The Best Time to Sell a House by Location and Other Factors

In other areas, seasonality doesn’t play as big of a role.

“I definitely think seasonality matters in other areas, but I think San Diego’s a unique market where you can wear shorts and flip-flops most of the year,” says Phillipson. “It’s different. People don’t mind going out in all seasons.”

The following table shows the best time to list your home in twenty different American cities, as well as the premium the average seller realizes when they list in their area’s peak month. Remember that after listing, it can still take a few months to close on a sale. This table is based on housing market data HomeLight has collected. To find the best time to sell in your city, use HomeLight’s ‘best time to sell’ calculator here.

City	Best Month To List	% Above Average Sale Price
Anchorage, AK	July	4.17%
Atlanta, GA	June	6.20%
Austin, TX	March	4.32%
Boston, MA	June	2.76%
Burlington, VT	December	7.65%
Chicago, IL	June	5.95%
Detroit, MI	October	8.19%
Los Angeles, CA	November	2.57%
Louisville, KY	July	8.56%
Madison, WI	June	4.32%
Miami, FL	May	3.35%
Minneapolis, MN	September	6.57%
Nashville, TN	October	6.23%
New York, NY	September	10.03%
Orlando, FL	June	3.97%
Phoenix, AZ	December	2.75%
Portland, OR	June	4.28%
Rochester, NY	August	6.31%
Seattle, WA	June	4.48%
Tulsa, OK	June	5.53%
Washington, DC	June	4.55%

How much difference can a well-timed sale make?

Peak selling times exist, but how much does it really matter? A lot, actually.

“A well-timed sale really can benefit you by upwards of 10% in the marketplace,” says Huerkamp. “In the traditional housing market, spring was always considered the best time to list. And it turns out, listing during that time could really net you around 10% more.”

If you want to get a sense of what your home might be worth before you list it for sale, use HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. Our tool uses your home’s size, age, location, and other features and leverages trusted data sources of your local real estate market to generate an estimate. To set a listing price that aligns with your selling goals, work with a top agent as you put your home on the market.

Thursdays are the best day to list

In addition to the best time of year to sell a house, there’s also the best day to list your house. Experts suggest strategically listing your property on Thursdays. By listing on Thursday, you’ll catch buyers’ attention as they make plans to attend open houses over the weekend when they’re most likely to be out and about.

“You want to prep the public,” says Lanham. “You want to make sure you’ve got all your social media advertising alerting the public that there’s going to be an open house during the weekend.”

Worst times to sell

Just as most cities have the best time to sell a house, many also have the worst time to sell. These can be times when many houses are being listed, meaning you’ll have to compete with other sellers for a good sales price. They can also be times when buyers aren’t looking as much. For some areas, this might be the holiday season when people are more likely to be busy with family or out of town.

For example, Huerkamp shares that activity in the Twin Cities slows down in the winter due to frigid Minnesota weather. In fact, last January saw an 11% decrease in sales prices in Minneapolis.

Nationally, January is the worst month to sell both in terms of sale price and speed. To find out the best and worst times in your area, use our tool here.

Impact of mortgage rate trends

When deciding when to sell your home, mortgage rates are a crucial consideration. Lower rates mean more buyers can afford homes, increasing demand and the likelihood of a quicker sale at a better price. Rates are projected to decline toward the end of the year and into 2025.

When rates drop from 7% to 5%, buyers will see lower monthly payments, making homes more affordable and bringing more people into the market. On the flip side, as rates surge, buyers wait out or struggle with the costs, dampening the demand. As mortgage rates influence buyer behavior, sellers must keep an eye on these trends. When rates are lower, you’re likely to entice more buyers and receive excellent offers.

Time your sale right with a top agent

Working with a top agent who knows the area can help you implement a timing strategy that will meet your needs. A realtor can also help you understand the quirks of your town, city, or county and help you achieve your goals, whether you’re hoping to sell fast or maximize price.

Agents can also help sellers understand what goes into preparing for a home sale, so they’re ready to hit the market at the right time with the house putting its best foot forward.

But before your agent helps you decide when to sell, you have to decide when to contact a real estate agent. Most agents have the same answer: as soon as possible. The more time they get to work with you, the more time they’ll have to prepare your house and meet your goals.

“Anytime that we have a four-week window before you’re looking to actually have the house hit the market, that’s how we can make sure that you’re most poised to sell in the least amount of time for the most amount of money,” advises Huerkamp.

Plan your target sell date

Knowing how much time to budget to prepare your home for listing is vital. It can help inform the rest of your timeline, whether that includes moving, buying another property, or renting. Preparations include completing any necessary repairs, staging the house, photographing the house, and actually listing it.

Then, you’ll have time between listing your house, getting offers, and accepting an offer. To find how quickly your house “should” sell, ask your agent about your area’s average days on market. This statistic measures how long houses sit on the market before going under contract, and can change year-to-year and even month-to-month.

In a seller’s market, homes can move shockingly fast. In a more balanced market, homes receive fewer offers and tend to sit on the market for longer. That’s why it’s important to consider local market conditions as you plan to sell.

The average days on market can also help determine if your home is priced correctly.

“What we typically tell consumers is anytime at your specific price point, if you’re on the market longer than the average days on market for your price point, then you need to do a price reduction of five percent,” Huerkamp says.

Update your home before listing

You’ll want to leave some time in your sale timeline to make any necessary updates to your home. Both Huerkamp and Lanham share that updates aren’t as important in a seller’s market, where buyers are more willing to fix problems on their own if it means a shot at limited inventory.

When buyers gain more leverage, however, they are less willing to buy houses that will require repair work on their part.

Regardless of the state of the market, recommended updates to boost your curb appeal and add property value include a fresh coat of paint and fixing any glaring errors. Keep in mind that contractors are typically busiest in the spring and summer, so you’ll have to account for that when planning your home sale.

Most common repairs

Some faults in your house can come up in an appraisal or inspection and potentially impact your sale. Your real estate agent can help you decide what repairs need to be made before listing. Common repairs include foundation repair, electrical repair, plumbing repair, roof repair, and HVAC replacement.

While many buyers might overlook necessary repairs in a seller’s market, you’ll have to stay on top of minimum loan requirements mandated by the FHA and VA. Buyers with these loan types need an appraisal to meet safety requirements in order to get financing.

Updates for sellers to consider

The most common updates that Huerkamp suggests are a fresh coat of paint, carpet cleaning, and a deep clean of the entire home.

“Those are the three most popular things that we recommend to sellers,” he says. “Two of them they can do themselves if they really have a good skill set of making sure everything’s totally clean with the deep clean and the painting.”

If you want to go for bigger updates, consider replacing outdated fixtures in your kitchen, such as appliances, countertops, or flooring. But make sure to talk to your real estate agent about what updates will get you the best return on investment.

Factors to consider

Ultimately, the timing of your sale has to be right for your individual circumstances. For example, if you have to move for a job relocation or a new military placement, the timeline will be out of your control. In these instances, it’s best to sell your house as quickly as possible. HomeLight can connect you with an experienced agent who can help make the most of your sale, regardless of your timeline.

Header Image Source: (Roman Bozhko / Unsplash)