What is the Best Day & Month to put a Home on the Market?

Putting your home on the market can be intimidating. There are many factors to consider and often it can be overwhelming. But what is the best time to sell your home?

The housing market can be competitive so it’s up to the seller to know the market best. This includes knowing when the best time to list your home is. Should the seller list the home as early as January? Should the seller list the home sometime during the summer? What about the day? Is a weekend or a weekday better? None of these questions have a definitive answer, although studies have shown trends which will help you in making the right decision.

List in the Springtime

There is no universally agreed upon time for the perfect date to sell your home. Rather, it all depends on a variety of different factors. However, all of the studies show that the springtime leading up to the summer is ideal. Zillow’s study has pointed to May as the prime time to sell your home. This specific study states that anytime from May 1st to May 15th is the ideal time to sell one’s home. Homes sold during this timeframe were bought around 9 days faster than average and for a price 1% higher than the asking price. However, there is more we can learn.

The same study showed that the “perfect” timeframe differs from location to location. While 20 out of the 25 locations studied did show that the magic period was from May 1st to 15th, it was different for other cities. Certain areas showed that April was also a great month to sell one’s home. For some areas, it was March and June. Houston is an example of a city where the best time to list a home was during June, anytime from the 1st to the 15th. San Diego is an example of a city where the best time to sell a home happens to be March. Be sure to find out when would be the best time for your area to list your home!

It’s worth noting that areas with warmer weather patterns have more freedom when listing a home. These include areas in California, Texas, and Florida. Furthermore, areas with little seasonal change, such as Southern California, is likely to have little variation in price based on the season of the year.

Choose the Weekend

As for the best day, Zillow has also done an extensive study on the topic. It states that the best day to list your home would be on a Saturday as listings posted during this time are likely to receive up to 20% more views. Obviously, this is due to the weekend so Fridays and Sundays are also prime days for listings. However, another study done by Redfin states that Thursday is also a great day for listings. The reason for this is because Thursday is when home buyers are preparing to go shopping.

Keeping all this mind can help you find the best time to sell your home. While there is no magical date to list, you can optimize your choice by being aware of trends in your city.