We often get asked ‘When is the best time to sell?’ from homeowners. They are asking about market conditions and how they change from season to season. And it’s true, some seasons such as fall are typically hotter markets than say early winter. But interestingly, the best time to sell a property may depend more on the individual property itself and the features it has.  

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Seasons make a difference, but so does your home

In different seasons, we tend to highlight certain elements of each property. For example, as we approach winter, buyers are thinking about how they will keep warm in their new home. They put a greater emphasis on heated driveways, gas fireplaces, and finished basements. Buyers see a huge value placed on the ability to wake up after a snowstorm, open their garage and drive straight to work without the requirement of a shovel.

The homes that sell best in winter have assets that can be marketed to what buyers are thinking about as they step into the cold. During the cooler months, buyers have how they can make the most of their new property, but that begins to shift as spring approaches.  

With warmer weather comes an emphasis on different home features. Because the winter months of the Greater Toronto Area seem to stretch on endlessly, when it starts to warm, Torontonians want to make the most of every moment, and this stretches into house hunting.  

When summer approaches, we start to highlight different assets of a property in our marketing. Instead of discussing a heated driveway, we feature a heated swimming pool or hot tub. In the summer, buyers will spend more time looking at sports courts and walking through a well-landscaped yard than they will think about how long it will take to shovel a driveway full of snow. However, these aspects won’t carry as much weight during the winter and won’t be marketed as heavily.  

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When is the best time to sell your property?

So, when our clients ask us when the best time is to sell their property, we first want to know all the assets their home has so we can prepare. Sellers rarely think about their home’s unique selling features in relation to when they should sell. Often, the best season to sell your property is going to depend on what features can be highlighted in the marketing to suit buyer preferences at the time.  

A home with a spa or pool is going to present better in the summer when potential buyers can experience the sparkling water and sun on the patio. When sellers want to sell one of these properties in the winter, lifestyle photos that highlight the outdoor elements need to be included in the marketing. This requires significant forethought from both the seller and their agent.  

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Considering when is the best season to sell your home?

When we have clients who are flexible with their sell date, we always encourage a walkthrough to gauge the property’s top selling assets for marketing. Reach out to a member of the Suzy Goldstein Team to discuss your unique property. We are experts at selling Toronto’s luxury real estate and provide expert advice to prospective sellers.