We recommend you sell when the time is right for you.
If it makes sense to sell because of where you are at in your life, then it is probably the best time.
Many sellers want to know how much money they can expect from their home sale. This worksheet will help you get an estimate.
When making the decision to sell, it helps to understand what is going on in the Vallejo Historic Home market.
If you need a detailed monthly analysis sent straight to your email, please subscribe to the Just Sold report.
Here are a few other factors to consider.
Seasonal Demand
Many people prefer to buy and move when the weather is warm and dry, and the days are longer.
Because of this, demand and prices for homes are typically higher from April to October. Unique Historic Homes do even better when there are more buyers.
If your timeline is flexible, we usually recommend you list your home between March and August to take advantage of this activity.
When waiting to list can pay off
Since historic homes are unique, it can be hard to find a comparable sale, or comp, which is usually the best way to determine the home’s value.
Sometimes there are situations when waiting for the right comp can help.
We had a client who owned a very small historic home and was looking to sell. There weren’t any recent sales for homes like his.
We knew it would be hard to get a good comp, so we had the home appraised. The value was too low and the owner decided to wait to sell.
But then the comp emerged
The next year, two homes of nearly the same size a few blocks away were sold weeks apart at prices far above what our seller could have earned.
Those homes were nicer, which accounted for the higher prices. We promptly listed our client’s home, and sold it for about 35% more than the appraised value just a year earlier.
This was a rare and unusual situation, specifically because the home was rare and unusual, as historic homes tend to be.
We are happy to help you find comps for your historic home. If you need help, please reach out to us, or use our comp tool to get a general idea.
The final price is often determined by the appraisal
Buyers will offer based on comparable recent sales, and appraisers will find value using similar methods.
The final sales price often comes down to the appraised value. Historic homes have some advantages here.
Historic homes are often unique enough that appraisers can use different rules, which can lead to higher valuations.
If you want to know more about how your historic home may appraise, please reach out.
Avoiding a bad comp
We have absolutely seen situations where a recent sale similar in size and description made a bad comp.
This is more common with historic homes because the condition of these homes can vary widely.
Imagine if there was a sale similar to your home but with badly needed renovations, which sold for a lower price. That sale could significantly lower the value of your home.
We want the full value for your home. There are times when we will recommend you wait a few months for a bad comp to go away.
Get the Road Map
You can see the entire listing process with the Seller Road Map Infographic.
This step-by-step infographic illustrates the sales process from prepping your house to accepting an offer.
Feel confident. Print this infographic to know what to do and when at a glance.
Taking the time to get your property ready
If you want to sell your car, you clean it first. The same is true for a home, only it’s a lot more involved.
Most sellers will get a better price if they take the time to prep their home for sale. We have a step-by-step guide to help.
If you want a quick overview about the steps involved in preparing your home, please check out this article: 14 steps to Prepping Your Home for Sale
When you are not buying a replacement home
When home prices are high in Vallejo, they tend to be high all over the Bay Area. Local real estate markets tend to move up and down in lockstep. So waiting to sell usually doesn’t make much difference if you’re planning to buy a new home in the area.
However, if you are not buying a local replacement home, or not buying another home at all, then waiting for a higher price may pay off.
We have had sellers who were leaving the state or who were planning on renting after they sold. In these cases it can make sense to try and time your sale, and we are willing to help.
Action Steps
Get monthly statistics and analysis sent straight to your email. Subscribe to the Just Sold Report.
To calculate the profit you will make selling your home, download our Estimate of Seller Proceeds.
For easy-to-follow steps to prepare your home for sale, Download this checklist.
