Should I Sell My House in Winter or Wait for Spring?

Sell when your plan is ready, not when the calendar says so. Homes sell in Salt Lake City in every season, so if your next home and your money line up this winter, you do not need to wait for spring.

I am Delia Bayna, a REALTOR with eXp Realty in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES). Many people ask me this question in November. Here is how I help them think it through.

Fewer people put their homes on the market between Thanksgiving and the end of winter. That can mean your house has fewer homes to compete with for the buyers who are out looking.

The buyers who look in the snow often have a reason to move. A new job, a lease that ends, or a change in the family can put someone in the market in January. Touring houses in a snowstorm is not something people do for fun, so the buyers who show up tend to mean it.

Winter also asks more of you. The days are short, the walks need shoveling, and the house has to feel warm and bright for every showing. None of that stops a sale. It just goes on your list.

Spring brings more buyers out to look. It also brings more sellers. Many people wait for the tulips, so your house may sit next to more choices on the same few streets.

Yards look better in May than in January, and for some homes that matters a great deal. If your garden or your patio is a big part of what makes the house special, a spring listing lets buyers see it in person.

There is one more thing to keep in mind. If you are downsizing, you are a buyer too. The same spring crowd that helps you sell can make it harder to find the condo or one-level home you want next.

The season matters less than your next step. Before you pick a month, ask yourself where you will go when the house sells.

If you know where you are going, or you have a plan for the time in between, the season becomes a small detail. If you do not know yet, that is the first thing to work on, whether you list in January or May. My post on how to buy and sell at the same time walks through the four ways people do it.

Think about the winter itself too. If the driveway, the front steps, and the basement stairs are part of why you are thinking about a move, one more winter in the house has a cost of its own. That belongs on the list next to everything else. If you are still deciding whether to sell at all, start with how to know you are ready to sell your house.

Selling in Salt Lake City in winter takes a little more planning. If snow falls before photo day, the walks and driveway get shoveled all the way to the pavement before the photographer comes. Every light goes on and every blind goes up, because the days are short and the house needs to look bright in pictures. My post on getting your house ready for listing photos has the full list.

Showings keep going through storms, so you will want a plan for who clears the snow when you are not home. Most of the daily routine is the same as any other season, and I cover it in how showings work when you still live in your house.

Start with your numbers, whatever the season. A home valuation tells you what your house may sell for, and that tells you what you can afford next.

If your next home is sorted out and the house is ready, I would list this winter rather than wait. If you still need time to sort, repair, or decide where to go, I would use the winter to get ready and list early in the spring, before the busiest weeks. Either way, I will tell you which one I would pick for your house and why, and I will keep telling you as things change.

I spent eighteen years as a teacher, and I still believe a plan on paper beats a guess about the calendar. Once we work together, I call and email every Friday, so you always know where things stand. You can read how I plan a move to something smaller on my downsizing page, or more about selling a home in Salt Lake City.

Do homes sell in the winter in Salt Lake City?

Yes. Buyers look all year. Fewer homes are listed in winter, and the buyers who are out often have a reason to move.

Is spring always the best time to sell a house?

No season is always best. Spring brings more buyers and more homes competing for them. The best time is when your house and your next step are both ready.

Will my house look bad in listing photos with snow on the ground?

Not if the walks are clear, the lights are on, and the blinds are open. A clean, bright house looks good in any season.

If I wait for spring, what should I do this winter?

Get your numbers, decide where you will go next, and work through the sorting and small repairs a little at a time, so the house is ready when you are.

This article is general information about selling a home in Salt Lake City and is not legal, tax, or lending advice. Every house and neighborhood is different, so ask for the numbers on yours.