With the chillier weather upon us and Christmas right around the corner, you may think that it's not the best time to sell your home. When people typically think of the home-buying season, they usually think of spring and summer; however, the winter months actually bring several benefits to the home-selling process that you may not have realized. With a real estate market featuring things like less competition, more available time, and year-end job transfers, there's never been a
better time to put 'sell your home' on your winter wish list. So, today, we're here to remind you that baby, it's SOLD outside as we explore 5 reasons why winter is a great, and underrated, time to sell your home! 

1. Less Inventory in the Winter Months

Just because spring and summer are typically known as the 'best' times of the year to sell doesn't mean that people don't look – or buy – at other times of the year. Although it's true that inventory typically spikes in the warmer months, less inventory in the winter months can actually be advantageous to you as a seller. Many sellers don't want to list their home during the winter months for various reasons, whether they don't want snow and dirt tracked in with each showing or they want to spend time with their family over the holidays. Whatever their reasoning may be, a lack of competition during the winter months makes it easier for you to make your home stand out and garner more interest to incite a sale. Therefore, using the fact that there is less inventory in the winter months to your advantage is a must if you're looking to sell your home this holiday season.

2. Flexible Schedules

Another advantage to listing and selling your home during the winter months is that people will often have more flexible schedules thanks to the upcoming holiday season. Many people take most of their paid (and unpaid) vacation days during the end of the year, and although it can be a pretty hectic time, there is still a fair amount of downtime for most people during the holidays. Whereas in the summer months, you (or your realtor) may not be able to accommodate a last-minute or late-night showing, the flexibility that the holiday season affords can be instrumental in getting the right buyer in for a viewing. Of course, it only takes one buyer to make a sale, so the more eyes you can get on your property, the better. 

3. Winter Buyers are Often More Serious

Most open houses occur during the spring and early summer, and it's not uncommon to find people just browsing without a clear plan to buy. However, people only get a limited amount of time off during the holidays, meaning anyone who is looking for a home during this period will likely be a serious buyer. The snowy weather and winter festivities make it an unlikely time for someone to casually scan the market, so if you do have a scheduled viewing, chances are that
person is serious and ready to buy. Plus, since you'll only be attracting serious buyers, it may even result in a quicker sale. Ultimately, winter buyers are often more serious because they aren't going to spend their precious time off from work looking at homes instead of spending time with their loved ones.