Everyone has their opinion on when the best time to buy a home is. Here are some reasons why the winter months might be the best time. Learn more.

Traditional home-buying wisdom holds that spring and summer are the best times to buy a house, and real estate trends would seem to indicate that this is true. Nationwide, the months of May through August see the most home sales, with sales numbers and inventory dropping during the winter as sellers take their homes off the market for the holidays.

But just because most people prefer to shop for homes during nice weather doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy a house in the winter. For many shoppers, buying in the winter might even be a better idea than buying in the summer. Here’s why.

Fewer Buyers

In the winter month, there are typically fewer buyers actively looking for homes during the winter, which makes less competition, unlike the spring and summer months. Here are a few reasons why there are fewer buyers in winter.

1. Weather: Cold, snowy, or icy weather can make it more difficult for buyers to view properties and travel to and from showings.
2. Holidays: The winter months coincide with the holiday season, which can be a busy and stressful time for many people. This may lead some buyers to postpone their home search until after the holidays.
3. Darker days: The shorter days of winter can make it harder to view properties, as it gets dark earlier in the day.
4. Life events: Some people may be more likely to move or buy a home around certain life events, such as the start of a new school year or the end of a lease. These events may be more likely to occur at other times of the year.

Better Deal

If you’re looking to get the best possible deal on a new home, you should buy it in the winter. According to HAR, home buyers who close in January or February pay an average of 8.45% less than those who close during other months. That doesn’t sound like much, but keep in mind that 8.45% of a $300k home is a savings of $25,350. So that savings can add up.

Plus, most sellers are more motivated to offload a home on the market during the winter months, when home sales traditionally slow down. So you’ll realtor should be able to negotiate more with the Seller than you would in May or June. A lower purchase price means lower average closing costs for winter buyers, which leaves you more money to spend on movers, new furniture, paint, renovations, or a new home warranty.

Motivated Sellers

Some sellers may be more motivated to sell during the winter months because sales are slower and there are fewer buyers in the market shopping for a home. Also, the seller may be desperate to sell because of relocating for work or a personal situation. So there is a better chance they will accept a lower offer.

Less Likely to Be Outbid

Lower inventory and colder weather mean that in the Houston market, far fewer people are competing to buy the same houses. You might have fewer homes to choose from in the winter, but you’ll be more likely to have an offer accepted when there’s less competition from other buyers.

Faster Closing

With fewer buyers in the market, you may be able to close on a home faster. Typically mortgage agents tend to get backed up with processing paperwork in the spring and summer months. Also, it can be difficult to find a title company with an open slot to facilitate the closing of your home.

Able to See the Home’s Winter Readiness

It’s hard to know what to look for when buying a house — and when you buy in the summer, you’re seeing homes at their best, in ideal weather conditions. One of the big drawbacks of buying a home in the summer is that you don’t really get a chance to see how it holds Houston’s winter conditions and lower temperatures. When you shop for homes in the winter, you’ll get to see how drafty the windows are or how cold the bedrooms get. How well does the city clear the roads leading to your prospective home? Driving there in the winter will tell you.

Fewer Homes on the Market

There may be fewer homes available for sale during the winter months, which could limit your options. There are half as many homes on the market in the winter as in summer. Your chances of finding that unique custom home are less likely in the winter.

If you have precise search criteria that are hard to fulfill, you’re twice as likely to find that unique property when the listing inventory doubles in the summer months.

Less Daylight for Showings

After the fall daylight saving time change, Houston, Texas starts getting dark around 5:00 p.m. This makes it much more challenging to view potential homes in the evening.

In contrast, in the summer months, it will stay light until almost 9:00 p.m. The lack of daylight can quickly put a squeeze on your showing schedule in the winter.

More Difficult to Inspect Certain Things

It can be more difficult to assess the condition of a property when it is ice. It may be harder to spot potential issues with the roof, foundation, or other parts of the home. Also, it can be harder to assess the condition of the air conditioner unit which we all know is extremely important in the hot Houston summers.

Also makes it harder to evaluate the current landscaping of the property.

Harder to Move

Let’s face it, moving in the winter just plain sucks. Especially, when a windy cold spell comes through Houston. Now, moving in Houston is not as bad as some other states up North, but Houston has its fair share of cold days.