Week 3 in my Get Out of Town Guide

Hi again! You’re here because you want to move out of Brighton, whether to a new state, or just a different part of Colorado. In week 1 we talked about finding your WHY?, and last week we talked about doing your homework before you decide WHERE to move.

This week we’re talking about the WHEN. When you move has a lot of implications in how the process will go, and I want to break them down here.

First of all, you might not have very much control over when you move. If you’re moving for a new job or because a new baby is being born, then obviously those things take precedence when deciding WHEN to move.

If you do get to decide WHEN you move, though, here are some thoughts to consider:

• The yearly flow of the housing market and how that will impact selling your home (and buying a new one). The housing market has a predictable yearly pattern; when you decide to sell your home will impact how quickly you can sell and for how much.
  • The most popular month for new listings is April, followed by March, May, June, and July. If you sell your home in these months, there will be more homes available and more competition. The same goes for you purchasing your new home; you’ll have more homes to chose from, but also more competition from other buyers who are looking at the same time.
  • The market slows down in July/August but picks up again right after Labor Day.
  • December to mid-January is the slowest time of the year for most markets. Most people are busy with the holidays and not thinking about buying/selling a home. BUT some people are still looking, and if you sell your home in December, it might be a good opportunity to reach those buyers that are still motivated to look at that time!
  • Suburban areas tend to follow the school calendar, with more homes coming on the market in April/May/June. If sellers are taking their kids’ school calendar into consideration, then they won’t want to move in February and pull their kids out of school mid-year. Is this something you need to consider as well?
• The school year (if you have kids in school). Do you want your kids to be able to finish out the school year at their current schools? Or does that not really matter?
• Weather/holidays/important family events. Are you moving to a place where there will be 2 feet of snow on the ground in the winter? Are you moving to a really hot/sunny place where it gets to 110 degrees in the summer? Do you love celebrating Thanksgiving in Brighton or decorating your current home for Christmas?

These are all questions to consider when deciding WHEN you want to move. If you or anyone you know is considering moving out of Brighton, then reach out to me and I’d love to talk to you about when would be the best time to make your move!

This has been week 3 of my Get out of Town Series. Stay tuned for Week 4: Money, Money, Money!