But scoring a jackpot when selling leaves you with lots to handle. Moving costs. Mortgage rates<\/a>. The whole process of finding a new roof over your head that suits your needs and your lifestyle.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve gathered expert tips and insights about eight key questions to ask yourself to determine when to sell your house \u2014 and how to fetch the highest price and fastest closing date.<\/p>\n Interest rates, unemployment, and other economic factors influence the housing market<\/a>. A seller\u2019s market puts the seller at an advantage. The inventory available can\u2019t keep up with buyer demand, so sellers\u2019 homes don\u2019t sit on the market for long. In fact, sellers might find themselves with multiple offers and close much higher than their asking price.<\/p>\n A buyer\u2019s market lets buyers be choosier. More homes for sale means they sit on the market longer, leading sellers and their agents to discuss strategic pricing, marketing, and showings.<\/p>\n While home values naturally appreciate over time, market conditions still impact how large your profit will be when you sell. (Curious about what your home is currently worth? Try HomeLight\u2019s Home Value Estimator<\/a>, which crunches real-time housing market data based on your home\u2019s condition and other factors in your area.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n A top real estate agent can help you create a selling strategy that will best align with your goals, whether it’s to maximize your sale price or sell your house quickly. We analyze over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you.<\/p>\n \n Boise, Idaho, has been one of the most overvalued markets in the country and the hottest over the past few years in terms of appreciation, says Ti Smack<\/a>, a longtime real estate agent in Eagle, Idaho, who works with over 73% more single-family homes than the average agent in that area. Out-of-state buyers from California and Washington State seeking lower taxes, better schools, and better environmental conditions have driven the Boise market higher.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s limited supply and extreme demand across all price points,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of pushed the local homebuyers out.\u201d<\/p>\n Nationwide, after what the NAR calls \u201ctwo years of gangbuster performance<\/a>,\u201d the housing market has cooled, with existing-home sales dropping for the fifth straight month. June sales were down 5.4% from May and 14.2% from one year ago. Housing inventory also rose 25% during recent months<\/a> compared to 8% \u2014 the pre-pandemic average for the same timeframe.<\/p>\n All this means that buyers soon could find themselves on more solid footing \u2014 something to think about if sky-high asking prices are one reason you\u2019re tempted to set out a \u201cFor Sale\u201d sign.<\/p>\n Of course, deciding when to sell your house involves other elements beyond market conditions. A seasoned agent can guide you through this unfamiliar territory. In fact, most sellers rely on an agent\u2019s expertise: In 2021, 90% of home sellers worked with a real estate agent<\/a> to sell their home, NAR statistics show.<\/p>\n For their help, agents earn commissions ranging from 5%-6%<\/a>, which the seller typically pays in full out of the proceeds at closing, but their expertise is valuable. (Check HomeLight\u2019s Commissions Calculator<\/a> for an estimate of average commission rates near you.)<\/p>\n An agent\u2019s advice includes:<\/p>\n Working with an agent also typically nets you the best price. Last year, homes sold with an agent\u2019s help sold for a median of $318,000 \u2014 about 22%<\/a> more than the $260,000 median sale price of those who went the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route. While FSBO sellers may enjoy certain for sale by owner benefits<\/a>, the data shows a significant price difference. Most buyers paid 100% of the asking price, but 29% went even higher, NAR statistics show.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve been in contact with the agent who sold your home to you, you can ask friends and colleagues whom they recommend. HomeLight\u2019s Agent Match<\/a> also can lend a hand. This free service analyzes agents near you by thousands of reviews and millions of transactions to find ones who might be a good match for your home sale.<\/p>\n Life happens. Even if you love the home where you\u2019ve lived for years, a job change or other circumstances might inspire you to look elsewhere. Last year\u2019s sellers told the NAR that they wanted to move<\/a> to be closer to friends and family (18%) or because their current homes were too small (17%). People still seem to crave more open and relaxed spaces, with 85%<\/a> of buyers in May purchasing in a suburb, small town, rural, or resort area.<\/p>\n Here are some reasons you might want a bigger (or smaller) place:<\/p>\n Older homeowners have some additional considerations, such as:<\/p>\n \u201cMany times as people get older and become empty nesters, they no longer want two-story homes \u200cthey raised their families in,\u201d Smack says.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, moving isn\u2019t as easy as clapping your hands and zapping yourself to your new space. While some life events can overrule financial considerations, sometimes the numbers just don\u2019t add up.<\/p>\n Tools such as HomeLight\u2019s Home Affordability Calculator<\/a> can help you evaluate how much home you can afford, but moving can entail some costs that people often don\u2019t consider up front, such as:<\/p>\n If a new job means moving to another state in two weeks, you can\u2019t be that discerning with your offers \u2014 and even then, things can happen that delay the sale. The median days on market<\/a> in June was 14, with homes listed receiving an average of 3.4 offers<\/a>, down from 4.2 a month earlier, NAR statistics show.<\/p>\n Although 88% of properties sold in less than a month, contracts still took 30 days to close<\/a>, these statistics show. From April to June, 18% of contracts<\/a> had delayed settlements, with 18% of those because of appraisal issues.<\/p>\n Your buyer\u2019s circumstances, such as losing a job, also might throw off the sale. From April to June, 7% of contracts were terminated<\/a>, these records show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n This free tool uses transaction data to determine what times of year homes in your market sell the fastest and for the most money.<\/p>\n \n If you\u2019ve lived in your home for ten years or more, you\u2019ve watched your neighborhood evolve. Perhaps you have more schools in the area, or you now noticed you\u2019re the oldest resident on the block.<\/p>\n Among last year\u2019s sellers, 11%<\/a> wanted to move because their neighborhoods had become \u201cless desirable\u201d for a variety of reasons. (Conversely, 63% of buyers said the quality of the neighborhood<\/a> influenced their purchase.)<\/p>\n These qualities can include:<\/p>\n Traditionally, the best time to sell a house is June<\/a> if you want to maximize the sale price \u2014 and July if you\u2019re eager to sell quickly, HomeLight\u2019s market research shows.<\/p>\n But this can vary by location. \u201cHistorically, the peak of our market is from the first week of June \u2014 when the kids get out of school \u2014 to the end of August,\u201d Smack says. \u201cPeople want to get into their homes and settled before the school year starts.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re not dealing with seasonal weather, the best time to sell varies by location, interest rates, and market conditions. Check out our Best Time to Sell Calculator<\/a> for HomeLight\u2019s historical data in your market on when you can make the most money and which months are best to sell your house fast.<\/p>\n True, there are some renovations that increase your appraised value<\/a> and potential offers, such as adding liveable square footage. But few buyers want to snap up a home that needs TLC: Only 6% of buyers last year wanted a fixer-upper<\/a>. In fact, 36% of buyers chose a new home to avoid renovations<\/a> or problems with plumbing and electricity.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to revamp your whole home to get it into the best shape to sell, though. A survey of HomeLight\u2019s top agents estimated the top resale value of these low-cost projects:<\/p>\n1. Is it a buyer\u2019s or seller\u2019s market?<\/h2>\n
![\"homelight](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\"){kind=logo}
\n <\/div>\n \n Time Your Sale Correctly With a Top Agent<\/h3>\n
2. Do you have a proven real estate agent?<\/h2>\n
\n
3. Does your home no longer fit your needs?<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
4. Can you afford to move?<\/h2>\n
\n
5. What\u2019s your selling timeline?<\/h2>\n
\n <\/div>\n \n Try our Best Time to Sell Calculator<\/h3>\n
6. Is your neighborhood changing?<\/h2>\n
\n
7. Is it a good time of year to move?<\/h2>\n
8. Is your home in shape to sell?<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Now it seems like there\u2019s a movement to get out of these bigger homes. People just don\u2019t want to deal with the work to take care of a home that size.<\/span><\/q>\n
![\"Ti](\"https:\/\/media.homelight.com\/uploads\/agent\/picture\/2838552\/normal_TI.jpeg\")
\n <\/div>\n ![\"star\"](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/star-solid.svg\")
\n <\/li>\n