When Should I List My House for Sale in Houston?

When it comes to selling a home in Houston, timing matters. In order to get the best price possible for your real estate, it helps a lot to time the listing to coincide not only with when you plan to move, but with when it will generate the most interest from potential buyers, as well. If your timing isn’t right, you may find yourself scrambling to find a new place to live—or worse, being forced to re-list your home at a much lower price. 

For this reason, one of the most important questions our real estate clients ask us is, “When should I list my house for sale in Houston?” 

When should I list my house for sale?

There are a couple of ways to answer this question. The first refers to time of year. The highest percentage of real estate activity in Houston occurs in the summertime. That’s because kids are out of school and work slows down in many industries, making it the easiest time for many people to move into a new house. Therefore, if you want the most buyers to consider your house, it’s a good idea to list it for sale in late spring or early summer.

But if you have a target move-out date from your home, timing of the sales process should be the bigger concern. You should plan to list your property for sale about 60 days before you plan to hand over the keys and never set foot inside the property again. 

How long does it take a home sale to go under contract in Houston?

In Houston, fair home prices are generally calculated by examining the sale prices of the most comparable homes in the area that sold recently. No matter what you think your house is worth, no matter what your property taxes say, comparable sales prices (or “comps”) will be what your Realtor® advises you to base your list price on. 

Here’s why: homebuyers’ realtors have access to comps, too. They will form their own idea of the value of your home based on the comps. If buyers decide your house is listed too high, it will often not even be considered as an option. It is much better to make every effort to list your house fairly or even a little below its comp value, as this will attract the most potential buyers. 

When priced correctly, your home should be under contract to sell within 30 days of listing. If 30 days elapse and your home still hasn’t gone under contract, it’s time to drop the price considerably.

How long will it take my home sale to close in Houston?

Once your home is under contract to be sold, the house will likely be inspected by the buyer. What often follows is a period of negotiations between the buyer and seller based on the findings of the buyer’s home inspector. (You can still take offers for the home while under contract, just in case the option period does not result in a sale.)

During this option period after going under contract, the buyer will typically want the property owner to fix any critical systems, such as HVAC or roofing, that may be broken or in need of immediate repair. It pays, here, to have an experienced Realtor® who is a good negotiator on your side! 

Typically, it takes 30 days after going under contract for a property to close. So, if it takes 30 days to go under contract and 30 more days to close, you should plan to list your property no less than 60 days (about two months) before you plan to move out and hand over the keys for good.

Can Angel Fultz Realty list my house for sale in Houston?

Yes! Angel Fultz Realty specializes in helping sellers just like you get the most money possible for their property. We take special pride in helping set the right price for every home we sell to make the sales process painless for all parties. We are always transparent with our clients about how we arrive at our recommended prices, and about how long our clients can expect the sales process to take. 

At AFR, we help people across the Houston area successfully sell their houses and move on. It all starts with a phone call! Contact us today for a free consultation on selling your home in Houston. We’re here to ensure that you will never feel ripped off or surprised during the sales process!