When Should I Sell My House? Deciding When to Put Your Home on the Market

There comes a time in almost every home’s life where it must finally part with its wonderful owners and become host to a whole new family. This is probably just as hard for the house as it is for the owners, but it is something that must be done. If you are feeling like it may be time to sell your house, you might be doubting your decision on some level. There are a number of scenarios that happen in life which make selling a home practical, and if you are experiencing any of them then it may be time to put that sign in the front yard and say goodbye to your home.

One of the biggest reasons that people sell their house is because they are moving to another part of town- or even another city or state- to take a new job. While selling isn’t your only option, it might be practical for you. If you don’t sell, though, you could always rent the home out while you simultaneously rent an apartment or room in your new location. If you are planning on buying a new house, though, then it would be wise to put the home on the market so that you can put that money toward your new property.

Another reason that people sell is when their kids move out of the house for college. After all, if you have three kids and none of them live with you, it is simply not practical to have a four bedroom house. Selling the house and using part of the profits to move into a smaller house or condo would be your best bet, especially because you will have plenty of money left over from the sale that you could put in your retirement fund or toward a European vacation.

Divorce is unfortunately another time where the most appropriate thing to do is sell. Whoever ends up staying on the property will be forced to live with all the memories that were created in the home, and it would be healthier emotionally to just leave the house behind. Plus, both parties will get a share of the profits from selling the house that they can use to further their own lives independently. Though it won’t be easy, selling the home after divorce is really often the best decision that can be made for everyone involved in the situation.

Other than these reasons, selling your house isn’t necessarily imperative. Before you make the decision to sell, you should examine the housing market- are you going to make a profit off of your home or has it lost value over the years? The best thing to do in this situation is speak with a real estate agent in order to find out how the market is doing and what you can do to improve the value of your home and increase your chances of selling it. If the market is simply bad and there’s nothing that you can do, it may be wise to hang on to the property for a little longer.