What is the best time to put your house up for sale?
On this page, we help you choose the right time to take the first step in selling your house. We cover the 4 topics that determine when you should sell your house and when you should ideally start.
- Duration of the sale from start to finish (2.5 months)
- Consider the seasonal pattern in the housing market
- Advantages or disadvantages of developments in the housing market
- Personal circumstances (new construction or migration)
We first help you with an overview of how long everything takes from start to finish. This way, you can better judge when to take the first step.
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The duration of the sale from start to finish (2.5 months)
- Moment 1: decision to sell has been made
Finding a Real estate agent (1.5 + 0.5 = 2 weeks) - Moment 2: Real estate agent chosen
Preparing the sale (1 to 4 weeks) - Moment 3: the house can be on funda
Viewings & bids (2 to 8 weeks) - Moment 4: the purchase contract is signed:
Waiting for the purchase to become final (1 to 6 weeks) - Moment 5: the purchase is final
Delivery (transfer) of the house (1 to 12 months)
Moment 1: decision to sell has been made
You've made up your mind. You're going to sell the house. This is our starting point.
Finding a Real estate agent (1.5 + 0.5 = 2 weeks)
Finding a Real estate agent to sell a house consists of 2 steps. Making a shortlist of Real estate agents to invite, and the final choice after the house visit.
Preselection of Real estate agents
Make a list of 2 or 3 Real estate agents you want to invite over. If you want to do it all by yourself, you can choose for example:
- The most famous Real estate agent in the city,
- The Real estate agent who is based in your neighborhood, and
- The Real estate agent who has been selling the most in your neighborhood recently.
At the bottom of the page, we explain how we can help with this step. This is especially useful if you want to know the performances and results of Real estate agents in your area. Here you can read more about what to pay attention to:
One evening should be enough to make the selection. It will then take a week and a half to schedule the three appointments.
Final selection of the real estate agent
Once you've met all the real estate agents, you should have a good impression of who they are. If you are smart, you will have obtained a revenue estimation from all the real estate agents and their commission. Then you can compare the invited real estate agents:
- What do you think of their personality / appearance?
- What does the real estate agent cost?
- What is his expectation of the yield?
- Do you believe in the approach?
Once you have made your choice, you sign the contract with the real estate agent and they can get started. If you're quick, you can do this in 2-3 days. So in total, it will take about 2 weeks to find a real estate agent.
Moment 2: Real estate agent chosen
The real estate agent is ready, you are ready: the preparation for the sale can begin.
Preparing for the sale (1 to 4 weeks)
The preparation for the sale consists of 2 parts: getting your house ready for sale and preparing the sale publication (funda).
Getting your house ready for sale (0 to 3 weeks)
The real estate agent will likely give you some tips to make your house just a bit more attractive. This could be as simple as installing a few spotlights in the bathroom or tidying up here and there.
It may also be worthwhile to take more drastic actions, such as having all the window frames painted.
We have previously collected tips from real estate agents on how to get your house ready for sale:
Depending on the condition of your house, it takes between 0 to 3 weeks to get your house ready for sale.
Preparation of the publication (1 week)
If your house is completely spick and span, then the photos can be taken. The most important part of the house presentation. A photographer from a real estate agent can often come by within 4/5 working days, after the assignment has been given.
In addition to the photographer, someone also comes by to measure the house. Finally, an energy label needs to be requested. This often happens on the same day.
In total, preparing the sale takes between 1 and 4 weeks, highly dependent on the condition of your house.
Moment 3: the house can go on funda
All documentation is complete and the house can be published.
Viewings & bids (2 to 8 weeks)
Yes, this is a shock: 2 to 8 weeks. Below we explain exactly how it works, so you can better estimate whether it suits your own house.
The speed of the sale depends on the type of house and the location. Two examples:
Example 1: A sought-after house in a large city (2 weeks)
An apartment in Amsterdam has enough with 3 to 5 viewing days. After the viewing, the deadline for bids is often (Friday). Often you can then decide which bid you accept in a weekend. And then the purchase contract can be signed in the following week.
Example 2: A unique house in a small place (8 weeks)
A detached house in a small place in Gelderland has fewer potential buyers. It often involves a handful of buyers who are either very in love with the house or not.
A real estate agent usually needs more time to stand out to these buyers and to plan the appointments. Normally, more time is taken for viewings at these types of houses, and buyers get the chance to come and look several times. Because there are fewer candidates, bidding is more of a negotiation than an auction.
In both cases, the real estate agent ensures that after the bid.
Moment 4: the purchase contract is signed
You have accepted the bid and the purchase contract is signed by both parties.
Waiting for the purchase to become final (1 to 6 weeks)
Just because the agreement has been made does not mean that the sale is already final. Keep 2 things in mind:
Legal reflection period (3 days)
After the purchase agreement is signed, the buyer has a 3-day reflection period. During these 3 days, the buyer may withdraw from the agreement without giving any reason and without any costs. This reflection period does not apply to you as the seller.
Suspensive or resolutive conditions (free to negotiate)
Often a buyer agrees to conditions under which he does or does not proceed with the sale. Think about:
- Building technical inspection
- Financing by his bank
In the big cities it happens that offers are made without these conditions, but this is exceptional. For most transactions, a buyer needs 5 weeks to arrange everything. Once all conditions have been met, the purchase is final.
Moment 5: the purchase is final
All parties are bound by the sale, so it's time for the transfer.
Delivery (transfer) of the house (1 to 12 months)
The delivery of the house means the following: the money is transferred and the house is put in the name of the buyer. All this happens at the notary's office.
The buyers choose (and pay) the notary. You can freely agree when the transfer takes place: as soon as possible, or only after months.
This can be very handy if you just want to bridge the gap, because you haven't found a new house yet, or if your new-build house is not yet finished.
Important tip: When selling your house, you can choose to sell the house quickly (to get rid of the hassle) and only deliver it to the notary months later (so you don't temporarily live without a house).
Be aware of the seasonal pattern in the housing market
For the sale it helps if as many people as possible see your house. This can be seen in the figures of when houses are put up for sale.
The simple rule:
Avoid holidays and the Christmas period. All other moments are fine to put your house up for sale. You can use the holidays and the Christmas periods, however, to choose a real estate agent and prepare the sale.
Advantage or disadvantage of developments in the housing market
It's always difficult to predict the market. The choice of when to sell the house also depends on your expectation of market developments.
We don't like to make a prediction whether house prices will continue to rise or not. The fact is that prices have been rising for several years.
If you think the market is at its peak, it makes sense to sell quickly. If you expect that there is still room for growth, it is wise to sell as late as possible.
Personal circumstances (new construction or migration)
Selling your house can therefore be fairly quick. For some people, there are pressing requirements for the time of the sale: they are leaving the country, or their home is delivered at a certain point.
In such cases, we recommend calculating backwards:
- When do you want to move into your new home? (delivery)
- When do you need the money? (delivery)
- When do you want certainty about the proceeds? (sale is final)
- When do you have time to prepare the sale? (choose a Real estate agent and prepare for sale)
Take the first step for the sale
When you register your home on Mijn Verkoopmakelaar, local Real estate agents know that you are planning to sell your house. They will send you a response on how they would approach the sale of your house. You can then choose the Real estate agent that suits you based on all the responses.
You will receive:
- The rate of each Real estate agent
- An estimate of the sales revenue
- The performance and sales results so far of the Real estate agents
Directly compare the best sales Real estate agents:
- Fast & Easy
- Nearby
- Free
Discover more about buying or selling a property:
Frequently asked questions about the time of selling a house
How long does the entire process of selling a house take?
Selling a house takes 2.5 months. This is from the moment you start looking for a real estate agent until the moment your house is transferred to the buyers at the notary's office.
What does the timing to start the sale depend on?
- Your personal plans (purchase, new construction, emigration)
- Holiday and Christmas periods
- The increase in house prices
- The speed of the sale for your type of house and location
