Selling a House in Summer: Better than Spring?

You may or may not have heard that the so-called “Spring Market” is the best time to sell. Starting as early as January, Realtors start to contact home owners to sell them on the idea of selling their homes as soon as possible. For Sale signs pop up well in advance of the first flowers of spring. By March, there is always a great selection of homes to buy. So, should you add yours to the inventory? If you can’t get your house ready to sell until June or July, is it too late?

In fact, the best time to sell your house is very personal, because you’re not simply making an investment transaction. Your home is special and there are special considerations. The timing of your move will have many influences.

If you own a home and will be buying a new one, will it be a larger or a smaller home? Will it be an inter-generational home? Will you be moving into the same market, or out of town? Will children have to change schools? Are you moving because of a change in your employment or health? People have to move all the time for all kinds of reasons.

If you’re selling and not planning to buy another home, say you’re moving in with one of your children or into a retirement home, the timing of the sale of your house will have different influences.

The excitement of the spring market might not appeal to you. The greater number of homes on the market can mean tougher competition, fast decisions, and higher prices. And, higher selling prices mean higher buying prices, too.

A slower pace in the summer can be beneficial. You can wait for the right buyer to come along with the price you want. If the prices drop after spring, a slightly lower selling price can mean a lower buying price, and a lower mortgage.

Your house might look spectacular in the fall when the maple trees in your neighbourhood are in full colour. Or maybe it’s at its best in the winter, with a fire in the fireplace and a wreath on the door. Your not-so-perfect yard looks perfectly fine covered in snow. Maybe you can wait.

If you’re thinking about selling, talk to Harry, Your Friendly Realtor. Before you’re ready, before you start staging, have a patient and knowledgeable professional come over to look it over and to help you think it over. Each situation is unique. A good Realtor will understand and help, not judge or pressure you. Your home is important and your individual needs are important. Harry will make sure you understand what you're getting into and will make the whole process as stress-free as possible.

Canada Day and Independence Day Decorating

Did you decorate for Canada Day?

Newmarket's Main Street always looks great for Canada Day, with lots of flags and gorgeous flowers, and the street fills with hundreds of people wearing red and white. Our Canada Day celebration is awesome!

Driving around town, I saw lots of flags flying, on flag posts, in flower beds and flower pots, on balconies, on cars, all over. Some homes were really beautifully decorated! I saw lots of red and white flower beds looking especially pretty with rows of flags framing them, and a red chair or a red door really pops when there's a Canada Day flower arrangement placed beside it.

I suspect that the homes with the most decorations were having parties for Canada Day. We don't tend to go all-out patriotic, we Canadians.

When you cross the border, it's different. Americans really fly their colours on Independence Day, and many more homes fly flags year-round. The "Stars and Stripes" appears not only on flagpoles but also on exterior and interior walls, floors, furniture, clothing, dishes, everywhere.

I think that Canadians do not love their country less than Americans love the USA. Indeed, we politely and humbly prefer Canada over every other place in the world.

Proudly Canadian, on July 1st and every day!