Is Autumn A Good Time To Sell A House?

Once you’ve made the decision to sell your house, the fun can begin! Of course, there’s a huge amount to sort out and lots of steps to take before you can sign on the bottom line and move on to pastures new – but one of the very first decisions to make is when exactly you want to put your house on the market.

Interestingly, the time of year can make a big difference to how quickly you find a buyer… and autumn is actually one of the best times to sell, so if you are in a position to do so, now would be a great opportunity to get the estate agents round and start marketing your property.

Seasonal shifts

Schools are just starting to open their doors once again after the summer holidays, so parents will have more mental and emotional capacity to consider their next move. 

Plus if the weather’s nice (and it looks as though we might be in line for an Indian summer), your home will still look at its best and people will be more inclined to go out house hunting than they will in winter, when the cold, wind and rain is beating down upon us.

There’s also often less competition now than during the spring and summer, with fewer homes on the market. This means that your home is more likely to stand out and you could see an uptick in potential buyers, as a result.

If you’re looking for a quick sale, October often sees plenty of activity in the property market, but you will need to be ready to move out, as prospective buyer numbers fall off significantly come November and December.

Buyers are motivated in the autumn and they’ll likely want to complete the purchase before the end of the year, keen to move in before Christmas… so you can expect them to make quicker decisions, facilitating a fast and efficient process overall.

But, of course, even though autumn is a good time to sell your house, other factors can come into play which might make a difference to your general levels of success.

Top tips

Always pay close attention to what’s going on in your local area, for example, as you don’t want any council-related obstructions to get in the way. Road works or development projects could prove a hindrance, making it harder for people to reach your property. If they can’t come to view it easily, they simply won’t bother!

Whatever you do, don’t rush the selling process. You might be tempted to stick your house on the market right now but only do so if you’re actually ready. It’s far better to wait and choose the right time for you than to feel pressured into it for one reason or another.

As ever, if you’re unsure where to begin with selling or buying a property, get in touch with the BR Needham team today to find out how we can help.