There can be pros and cons to listing your home in the winter!
Anytime I meet with sellers, there is always a discussion about when to list their homes in Orange County especially if we are approaching or are in the thick of the winter season. Should I wait until the end of the school year? Should I wait a few more weeks until spring? Should we wait until after the holidays? Honestly, I think the best time to list your home is when you are ready even if it is winter. There will always be reasons for waiting or immediately listing, but what is most important for sellers is to understand the potential pros and cons of listing during the winter. Having realistic expectations about what it could be like listing your home in winter can set the tone for a successful home sale experience.
Con: Winter is a slower season for the housing market.
Yes, it is true that the housing market does slow during the winter for homes in Orange County. Being in the middle of the school year, icy roads, and the threat of winter storms can keep people from heading out to look at homes for sale. The number of homes on the market is typically less than spring as sellers are willing to pack up a house and move.
Pro: The buyers searching for a house in the winter are serious.
While near zero temperatures might be enough to ward away buyers just starting their home search, for buyers who need to move the weather isn’t going to stop them from seeing homes. Because the number of homes on the market are fewer during the winter months, your home will have less competition. If a buyer is willing to bundle up and make the trek to see a home in person, then the buyer is a serious one just waiting to find the right home.
Con: It may take longer to sell a homes in Orange County in the winter.
Fewer buyers searching for a home means that the days a home spends on the market may increase. If you are a seller with flexibility, then waiting a little longer to get your home under contract may not be an issue. If you are a seller with a solid move-out date, this may mean having your home on the market even after you move to a new location. Asking your Locust Grove REALTOR® to share with you the average days on the market statistics for your area can help you understand what is happening currently in your market.
Pro: Just because it might take longer to sell, doesn’t mean it will.
With a limited inventory of homes on the market during the winter months, when a new home (especially a move-in ready one) hits the market, the serious buyers who have been searching for a property are ready to write an offer. While it is important for sellers to know the average length of time that it takes to sell homes in Orange County during the winter months, this doesn’t mean it will always take longer than average.
Con: Keeping a home ready for showings in the winter can be a little more work.
In addition to keeping the inside clean and ready for showings, sellers may have a few more chores to do during the winter months. It is important to keep driveways and sidewalks clear of ice and snow. Once the snow melts, sellers may need to check their yards for any debris. While no one is excited to pack up the family on a cold evening for a showing, it could result in an offer.
Pro: There are a few easy things to do to help make the showing successful when it is cold outside.
If you keep your home cooler in the winter to save on costs, you may want to bump that thermostat up a few degrees to make your home feel inviting. Add a waterproof mat for wet shoes and provide some hooks for buyers to hang their jackets. Turn the lights on each room before you head out so the buyers are stumbling around the rooms in the dark while they search for light switches.
Con: The spring market sees more activity than the winter.
Once winter releases her icy grip, the housing market for homes in Orange County becomes more active in the spring. There are more buyers searching for homes and more sellers entering the market
This also means that as a seller, there is more competition on the market. Buyers will compare your home to several other similar builds on the market.
Pro: Getting your home on the market during the winter means that it is already prepped for the spring.
If a seller enters the market during the end of winter, all of the work that comes in preparing the home to be sold has been completed. The sellers have already decluttered, deep cleaned, and staged the home. If the home remains on the market until spring, then it is already a step ahead of sellers that are waiting for spring to put their homes on the market.
- January 2025 Housing Market Update for Homes in Locust Grove
- Is it a mistake to list your home in the winter?
- Just Listed Land in Orange County : 0 Captains Way Unionville, VA 22567
- Real Estate Questions Answered: Why do I have to stage my home?
- Neighborhood Spotlight: The homes in Lake of the Woods
Take a look at the current homes in Orange County on the market.
