If you are currently in the market for a Pittsburgh custom home or know that is on the horizon for you this upcoming winter season, many homeowners hesitate to list their current home for sale during the winter months. The winter season is typically looked down upon for putting homes on the market and most realtors may even recommend you wait until spring. However, Parry Custom Homes shares why a study by Redfin indicates that selling your home in the winter months might actually be to your benefit.
While spring may be the home-shopping season for many, listing your home for sale in the winter can give you the upper hand in a lot of cases. When buyers are shopping for homes in the winter, they tend to have more of a sense of urgency. Redfin, an online brokerage, found that the average seller nets more than asking price during the months of December through March, than they do from June through November. Homes listed in winter also sold faster than homes listed in the spring, surprisingly enough.
These findings may have many people in a rush to put their home up for sale before spring, but timing for home sales is always based on supply and demand. The best way to determine this is to check your area to see when might be the best time for you to sell your home, if you aren’t on a time crunch.
Check the number of days on the market for your city and the recently sold listings. If most homes are sitting for more than 60 days, it will be safer to hold off until spring when more buyers enter the market. However, if properties are selling quickly, then you can take that as a green light to list your home.
A few tips to help your home sell fast are:
1.) Schedule a tune-up. Be sure the main issues buyers look at like heating and maintenance are up to speed, as well as clean gutters, air filters, and clean windows are in place. A well kept home is a home that will sell much faster.
2.) Price Your Home Right. If homes are going on the market as quick as they are going off, then you have the flexibility to test the market and price it higher. However, if it is the dead of winter and the market is not as bust, it’s best to price it reasonable to draw in buyers.
3.) Brighten your home. Often times, the winter months are gray and gloomy. Be sure to make your home warm and inviting from the minute the buyer drives up. Warm up your curb appeal with clean landscaping and cool-weather plants, and make sure chipped paint and cracked window seals are taken care of. A welcoming house will sell, even in the winter months.
Putting this knowledge to use when listing your home this winter may have you selling your home quicker than you imagined, especially if inventory in your area is already low this winter season!
Parry Custom Homes is an established homebuilder in the Pittsburgh area. Call or contact us today for more information about this floor plan option, or to view other homes in our portfolio that may suit your new home needs.