How (and Why) to Prepare Your Home to List in a Year
Sometimes major life events, such as divorce or working in a new city, make real estate decisions for us. However, the rest of the time we are left to our own devices. While there are a number of factors that determine when exactly is the best time to list our home for sale, real estate analysts and forecasters can look to previous years’ data to make a general prediction about the time of year when sellers will benefit the most.
According to a recent report from Realtor.com , this week —April 14-20, 2024 —is the best time this year to sell a home. It might be nice to hear if your home is currently on the market, but that’s not necessarily useful information for other potential sellers who missed out on the 2024 sweet spot. The good news is that if they don’t need to sell immediately, they can spend the next year getting their home ready to list for the best time to sell in 2025.
Best time of year to sell a house
Based on past real estate market trends, according to Realtor.com, spring is the best time of year to sell a home . “Housing conditions in April can vary from year to year, but seasonality suggests that during a given year, the best time to sell is mid-April,” says Hannah Jones , economic analyst for Realtor.com. “For example, today’s market is relatively challenging and sellers have adjusted their expectations accordingly this year, but this spring will be the best combination of conditions throughout the year for sellers.”
So what is it about spring that gets people in the mood to buy new homes? According to Jones, it comes down to two main factors. First, spring “begins the seasonal rise in home prices and accelerates the pace of sales,” she says. Additionally, since home inventory typically picks up in the spring but has not yet reached its summer and early fall peaks, sellers can expect more buyer attention. “The combination of above-average prices and buyer demand, coupled with a fast market pace and low competition from other sellers, makes mid-April the best time to sell,” Jones says.
How to Prepare Your Home to List in a Year
Even if you haven’t officially gotten started or are still on the cusp of selling your home, there’s still time to get it ready and listed for next year’s spring selling season. While forecasters haven’t yet pinpointed a specific week, Jones said mid-April 2025 will likely be the best time to sell a home next year, “assuming typical seasonal trends in the housing market continue.”
Of course, the amount of time you’ll need to get your home ready to go on the market depends on variables such as its current condition and how much work (if any) you plan to put into it before selling. But to give you an idea, results from another survey conducted by Realtor.com show that approximately 80% of sellers spend between two weeks and six months getting their home ready to sell, with the largest share taking between one and three months.
It’s also worth noting that more than half of the sellers surveyed (56%) said the process of getting their home ready to list took longer than they expected, so learn from their mistakes and give yourself plenty of time. Not sure where to start? Here are some steps you may need to take to list your home for sale next spring:
Come up with a game plan
“Before approaching potential listing agents, you should have a general idea of where you want to be after selling your home,” says Maureen McDermuth , a Realtor with Sotheby’s International in Montecito, California. Are you moving out of state, overseas, or staying here? Whether you’re moving to a new state, country, or staying here, start familiarizing yourself with the real estate market in the area so there are no major surprises later on.
Hire a listing agent
It helps to work with an experienced listing agent early in the process, Jones says. In addition to telling you what you need to do to get your home ready to list in the spring, they will also help you set your expectations for listing price by area and help you determine if it makes more sense. take on major repairs and renovations or sell the house as is.
But don’t just hire the first agent that comes up in an online search; Keep in mind that this is the person you will be advising you on how to get top dollar for your home. McDermuth recommends searching for reviews of your potential listing agents on Zillow or other real estate sites, then interviewing three to five local agents before making a decision. “Although almost all of us have an agent in the family, it might be better to hire someone else, especially to avoid family conflicts,” she says.
Ideally, you should have a listing agent about four to six months before your home hits the market, McDermuth says. For example, if you want to list your home in April 2025, you should interview with agents in December and make a decision by January. “I would definitely make sure that an agent is hired 90 days before the scheduled listing date,” she says.
Follow your listing agent’s recommendations
After appraising your home, your real estate agent will likely make some recommendations on how to make it more attractive to potential buyers. Remember, they are on your team and will also benefit from selling your home for as much money as possible. “While some advice may seem offensive, especially when it comes to a large project you’ve undertaken on your home, your agent wants to help you get your home in the best condition to sell,” McDermuth says.
Take sliding barn doors for example. Although they were all the rage not too long ago, they have since fallen out of style and McDermuth says shoppers don’t want the hassle of replacing them. That’s why, as a listing agent, she would advise sellers to install new doors before putting their home on the market.
Go through your things
Start the decluttering process as soon as possible. “In today’s market, buyers may want to fill space as quickly as possible, so you need to be prepared,” McDermuth says. “If it’s not a daily necessity, move it to storage or sell it.”
Take photos of the ad
While you have some time before you have to worry about interior photos, don’t wait too long to take exterior shots. In particular, agree to take photos of the outside of your home when it looks its best—which in many cases is when your trees, flowers and plants are in full bloom and looking lush, says Haley Bartlett , a Realtor with iGo Realty Denver. “Planning ahead and taking photos outside during this season can lead to more buyers looking at your home when it comes time to sell,” she says.
If you’re staging your home professionally, interior photos are typically taken seven to 14 days before it goes on the market, says Ashley Oshinsky, real estate broker and owner of Higher Living Real Estate . “The reason for this is that it’s a monthly fee, so the longer it’s in your home, the longer you have to pay for it,” she says.
Begin to withdraw emotionally
This is often the most difficult step for sellers who have a lot of memories attached to the home, McDermuth says. “As you go through this process, it’s helpful to start thinking of your home as an investment, which it is,” she says. “The sooner you get into this state of mind, the sooner you can move on with the other tasks of selling your home.”