As the life rule goes, timing is everything - so with real estate.
When planning for your house sale, these following calendar-based factors by Trulia should be in your radar so you can strategically put up your listing and expect favorable outcome:
The Academic Calendar
Families with school aged children are more likely to scout for a property in late spring/early summer when the kids are not in school with the aim of settling in before school starts. This is to avoid having to deal with everything - from back-to-school preparations and moving in to a new house - all at once.
The Tax Calendar
For some buyers, nothing can motivate them more than a massive, looming tax bill. New professionals, in an effort to deduct their closing cost and mortgage interest from their new large incomes and avoid a big tax bill the following April, are inclined to closing escrow on homes between the time they graduate and the year end.
At the same time, after tax time in April, there's a surge of newly motivated buyers advised by their CPAs about mortgage interest deduction and how it is the best way to avoid owing IRS a big check for the forthcoming year.
Sellers are able to benefit from these motivations since they result to increase in demand and higher chances for a sale than other times of the year.
The Weather Calendar
Yes, the weather could also affect the sale of your property. For instance, a property in a cold-weather climate location have fewer viewings during wintry times. In warm weather states like Florida and Hawaii, search for homes peak during January and not until after the spring thaw in the Midwest, the South, the Northeast, and most of the West.
Your property's features and the weather conditions, combined, have impact on the salability of your property. Researchers for behavioral economics studied and found that homes with swimming pools and related features are more attractive to buyers during the summer; which makes sense.
"When it is sweltering outside, a swimming pool just looks attractive. There's an emotional connection because it reminds us of fun times we have in the summer," says Jaren Pope, assistant professor of economics at Brigham Young University.
It's a matter of helping prospective buyers realize what they could do with the property when the weather changes. If you have ski slope access and you're selling your property during summer, it would help to stage a feel of the fun that awaits the prospective buyer come winter time by strategically placing ski gears and other items so they appreciate what is presently, an irrelevant feature. At the same time, if you have a pool and selling your house during winter, make sure you switch on the steam and heating features (if available) to offset the coldness vibe and to prevent buyers from discounting the idea of a pool in winter.
The Holiday Calendar
Although November and December are the slowest months of the year for home searches, this shouldn't stop you from listing your home during these times. In fact, you will find the most motivated buyers of all during these months. They will brave rain and snow just so they could close the deal by year's end for tax purposes. Take advantage of that.
The Gregorian Calendar
Home buying is most popular during the start of the year. Why? Because buyers around this time are looking forward to career promotions, developing relationships, or relocating to a new place or home. Make sure your house is attractively listed on sites like Trulia at this time of the year so you tap on the life-and-financial-change visionaries market who are looking to find their new nest.
