You often hear real estate agents and bloggers and publications tell you to wait until the springtime to sell your home - prices are the highest, your house looks the best, there are more buyers, etc., etc., etc. And that isn’t wrong. Springtime is typically the time of year when the most houses sell and when prices do the most increasing for the year (if it’s an appreciating year). That doesn’t, however, mean it’s always the best time to put your home on the market. It is completely possible to sell your home quickly and at a good price in the winter months too. Let’s discuss why.

1. The Market Is Stable

As I mentioned above, if we are in an appreciating year as the last few have been, prices start to increase in the springtime. The demand for homes goes up and the laws of economics dictate that prices go up with them. When you sell your home in the winter, that appreciate has already happened. It makes pricing your home much simpler. There are lots and lots of comparable properties that have already sold that appraisers can compare your home too. That makes getting a good, solid appraisal much easier too.

2. There is Very Little Competition

Less people sell their homes in the winter time. As of this writing, there are currently just under 1,500 homes for sale in Salt Lake County. That puts the Market Absorption Rate at 2.12 months per Utah Real Estate. That means, that if no new houses are listed, the current inventory will sell out in 2 month. That is an indication of a very strong seller’s market. A balanced market has an absorption rate of about 6 months.

According to the same report, there are about 1,700 houses under contract. The fact that there are more houses under contract than available shows that the market is moving well and properties are selling.

3. The Buyers are Serious

Because less people move in the winter months, the buyers who are out looking are serious buyers that need to move now. They are looking for their next home and are ready to put their money where their mouth is so to speak. You may not have a bidding war on your home, but the buyers that you do have will be ready to close a deal. They are, however, savvy to the market and will know if your home is well priced.

4. Again, No Competition

This is important and I can’t stress it enough. The statistics show that the market is moving - houses are selling and selling well - but there aren’t a lot of houses on the market to keep up with the demand. If you sell in the winter time your home is one of a handful rather than one of dozens. It allows your home to stand out and shine without competing with other homes that are very similar or even more fixed up than yours.

So it is possible to sell your home in the winter successfully. And it can happen quickly too if you prepare and price it well. Give me a call and we’ll get started today!