If you want to sell your home, you might be wondering if you should do it before or after the school year. If you do it before school returns for a new year, there are plenty of benefits as families will want to get settled before the back-to-school rush hits. However, as a seller, you also need to consider whether you can also buy a new home for your family at the same time.
Hot market
Most people looking to sell their house want to do so in the summer for a couple of reasons. Selling your current home and looking for a new home at the same time can be stressful. Sellers often want to close on their existing home around about the same time as buying their new home, so they are not carrying two mortgages. Additionally, sellers often decide to put their house on the market over the summer not to interrupt their children’s school year.
As a homebuyer, this is terrific news because that means there are often more property options over the summer. Currently, there is a shortage of family-size homes for sale in many cities. It’s important to research the availability of homes in the city or neighborhood you are targeting to buy to know how this will affect you. Whether you are buying and selling a home or buying your first home, you’ll need to leave yourself enough time to find the right home for you and your family if getting settled before the new school year is important to you.
Reduced price
Some homes get listed in early spring, and by the time mid-summer hits, the home may still be up for sale. Going into the school year with their home still on the market is what sellers try to avoid. Fortunately for homebuyers, this makes sellers motivated to sell. Therefore, they might reduce the price of their home or be more willing to negotiate the price. When looking for homes in the late summer, you may see that many listings have reduced prices to sell quickly. However, if you are buying a home in a competitive market and find one that meets your needs, you shouldn’t wait for the price to reduce to make an offer.
Ample time and better weather
Something that you have more of in the summer than any other season is time. The summer means no daily trips to drop off and pick up the kids from school. Without having to make those trips, it leaves you more time after you get off work to gather the family and start the hunt for the perfect home. Depending on where you live, it gets dark around 8:30-9:30 p.m., there’s time after school and work for the family to visit a few open houses.
The weather outside always determines what people are going to do that day. Rainy days and winter snow flurries make it almost impossible to get out and do what needs to be done. The best season for home buying is the summer because it is much easier to travel from one place to the next with clear blue skies rather than pouring rain conditions. Depending on where you live, the summer can provide you with the perfect sunny days, making it convenient for you to get from one destination to the next in your home buying experience.
Sellers also benefit from having an ample amount of time and having the weather work in their favor. With the responsibility of selling a house comes the need to schedule your time efficiently. You need to effectively schedule open houses to give potential buyers the opportunity to see your home. It must be your priority to manage your time well, and that includes clearing the entire family, including any pets, while the real estate agent shows the home to a potential buyer. Fortunately, everybody likes to be out during the summer to enjoy the nice weather so sellers can take their family to the park during the time. In contrast to the winter, where nobody likes to hang around outside for an extended period of time, the summer is the perfect season to attract people to your open houses. A home always looks its best with the natural sunlight shining through and keeping some windows or doors open for the potential buyers provides a more welcoming gesture.
Finding the best school district and neighborhood
Finding a new school district and neighborhood for your children to live in can be a very daunting task. You may have many questions lingering about how to know if a particular school district and neighborhood will fit with your wants and needs. Fortunately for you, buying a home over the summer is especially beneficial if you move to another neighborhood that will require your children to start at a new school district. There are plenty of online resources that provide detailed information about different school districts and their partnering neighborhoods.
FinLocker users can start their home search directly from their app. The widget will allow you to explore prospective homes and neighborhoods that cater to your needs and budget. You can search for a specific property type and number of bedrooms in your preferred zip codes.
Whether you are staying in your current city or moving to another state, it’s important to work with a local real estate agent. They’ll know the neighborhoods and match your housing needs to areas with suitable schools and other important factors, such as proximity to transportation and grocery stores.
GreatSchools.com is just one of many sites designed to provide information on different school districts in any specific area. On the off chance that you do not have the time to visit schools and meet with teachers, this website provides you with ratings of school districts, reviews, and information regarding your children’s educational needs.
Staging your home
If you are still selling while trying to buy another home, the summer will benefit you in more ways than not. Staging your home in summer is something that can prove to be quicker and easier than if you staged your home in any other season. When selling your home, one important thing to always do is keep the home clean and uncluttered. No potential buyer wants to walk into a home and see shoes, backpacks, homework, and afternoon snacks lying around. You want them to feel comfortable like they are right at home as soon as they walk through the front door. The summer is a break from the mess caused in the home from when school is in session. The summer gives you the perfect opportunity to clear away the clutter and make it presentable for potential buyers of your home. Staging your home not only provides an increased chance of a faster sale, but it also can help you to get a better price for your home.
