When is the best time to sell?

Conventional wisdom is that spring is the best time to sell a home.
This is when gardens are in bloom, the sun is shining and most homes show well. Although weather considerations do come in to play, the best time to sell depends on various other factors as well.

Sellers usually do well when there is not a lot of competition from other listings. Buyers tend to be pickier when there is a lot of inventory to choose from.

Although a lot of competition isn't great for a seller, a little competition is not necessarily bad. This gives buyers an opportunity to compare one house against another that is similarly priced. It can be difficult for buyers to make a decision when they don't have the opportunity to make a comparison.

HOME SELLER TIP:
The best time to list is to be ahead of the wave of competition.  The highest activity level of the year is in the months of March through June and considering it takes approximately 5 to 9 days for a new listing to be in full market play, the ideal time to list your home is early to mid February.

Mid- to late-winter can be a good time to sell. Inventory of homes for sale dwindles in December as people focus on the holidays. This is especially true after the recent increase in listings last fall. People who market their homes early in the year often find little competition from other sellers.