Should You Sell Your Richmond, VA Home This Fall or Wait for Spring?
Updated: Oct 25
Every October, somebody sits across the table from me and asks the same question: should we list now, or wait for spring?
Most people assume spring is the answer. More buyers, green yards, better pictures. After more than 35 years of selling homes in Richmond, Virginia, my answer is a little different. If your house is ready, fall is often the smarter move. If it isn't, waiting for spring can be the right call. The calendar matters a lot less than your house does.
I'm Curt Reichstetter with Two Dog Realty. Here's how I'd help you think it through.
THE SHORT ANSWER If your Richmond home is ready to show and priced for the current market, listing in the fall often means less competition and more serious buyers. Spring brings more buyers, but it also brings many more competing listings. Wait for spring if your home needs real preparation or its outdoor space is a major selling point. |
Is fall a good time to sell a house in Richmond, VA?
For a home that's ready, yes. Fall gives you fewer competing listings and buyers who usually have a real reason to move.
Before COVID, the Richmond market ran on a calendar you could almost set your watch by. Spring was the busiest season. Summer cooled off with vacations and kids out of school. Fall picked back up, though not as strong as spring. Then Thanksgiving arrived and things went quiet until late March, or really until the sun came out three days in a row and it hit 60 degrees. For a few years after 2020, every season felt like spring. That's over. The old rhythm is back, which means the old timing questions are back too. I covered that shift in Episode 23 of Beyond the For Sale Sign.
What does spring really give sellers?
More buyers, yes. But also more sellers, all at once.
The first warm weekend of the year, a lot of homeowners who waited all winter put their signs in the yard at the same time. Your house isn't the new listing anymore. It's one of several, and buyers start comparing. When buyers have choices, they usually pick the home that looks like the best value.
So a seller who waits all winter for more buyers can end up with more competition instead. That doesn't make spring a bad time to sell. It means spring isn't automatically the best time for your house.
Who is buying homes in the fall?
Fall buyers usually have a reason. A new job that starts in January. A lease that's ending. A growing family. A move they want finished before the holidays.
These aren't people touring open houses on a Sunday for something to do. They need to move, and people who need to move make decisions. You get fewer buyers in the fall, but the ones you get tend to be serious, and there are fewer homes competing for their attention.
Real Client Story: The Lease Was Up January 1
Last fall, the daughter of some past clients of ours came to us with her boyfriend. Their lease was ending the first of the year. She had a good, steady job, they'd saved for a down payment, and they wanted to buy their first home instead of signing another lease.
We looked at a lot of houses. The one they chose was a 1937 ranch on a large lot, close in to the city. It had some issues, the kind of things a picky spring buyer might walk away from. They looked at it clearly and decided they could live with some of it and fix things as they went.
We closed the second week of December. Almost a year later, they're happy in that house.
Now look at it from the seller's side. That seller didn't wait for spring. They got buyers with a deadline, money ready to go and a willingness to look past a few imperfections, and they were done before Christmas.
THE PRACTICAL LESSON The best time to sell isn't a season. It's when your house is ready and priced for the buyers who are actually out there. In the fall, those buyers are fewer, but they're usually ready to act. |
When should you wait until spring to sell?
Waiting makes sense when your house isn't ready or when the outside is what sells it. It doesn't make sense just because spring feels safer.
The biggest reason to wait is a home that needs real preparation. A house only gets one first week as a new listing. Rush to beat Thanksgiving with paint that needs doing and repairs buyers will spot right away, and you spend that week showing buyers the problems. I wrote more about that in why the first 7 days on the market matter.
The second reason is a property where the yard is the story: a large lot, gardens, a pool, water views. In November the yard is brown and the pool is covered. For most homes, fall curb appeal just means raking leaves. For some, the outdoor space is the reason a buyer will pay more, and those homes usually show better in spring.
Here's how the two seasons compare for sellers:
Fall and early winter | Spring | |
Number of buyers | Fewer | More |
Competing listings | Fewer | Many more, often all at once |
Buyer motivation | Usually a deadline: job, lease, family | Mixed |
Best for | Homes that are ready now | Homes that need preparation or sell on outdoor space |
Watch out for | Short days, the post-Thanksgiving slowdown | Being one of several similar listings the same weekend |
What doesn't belong on the "wait" list is "we'll get more money in the spring." Maybe. But you'll also have more competition, and nobody can tell you where mortgage rates will be next April.
If you wait for spring, how should you use the winter?
Don't just wait. Use the time so you're ready the first warm week instead of scrambling.
Walk the house with your agent in January. Look at it the way a buyer will.
Decide what's worth fixing. Paint, repairs buyers will notice right away and decluttering usually come before anything bigger. See what really adds value before selling.
Do the work over the winter, so nothing is rushed.
Line up photography for the first stretch of good weather.
Set the price against spring's real competition, not against what a neighbor got last year.
Go live when you're ready, so you're on the market before the crowd, not behind it.
How do you sell a house in the fall the right way?
Price for the market in front of you, and don't let short days make your home look smaller than it is.
Price for fall, not for May. A house priced for spring and listed in the fall is going to sit, and a listing that sits into December has a harder time. My guides on the perils of overpricing and pricing your Richmond home go deeper.
Watch the light. Schedule listing photos in the middle of the day. When a buyer is coming at 5:30, have the porch light and every lamp on before they pull in. A dark house at dusk feels smaller and colder than it really is.
Keep up with the leaves and gutters. A clean yard and clear walkway tell buyers the house has been cared for.
Do homes sell during the holidays in Richmond?
Yes. Activity slows down after Thanksgiving, but it doesn't stop, and the buyers who are out in December usually aren't window shopping. Our first-time buyers in the story above closed the second week of December.
If your home is on the market over the holidays, keep decorations simple so buyers can see the house, and keep saying yes to showings. Whether to pause a listing depends on your situation and your listing agreement, so talk it through with your agent before making that call.
How the Richmond area affects your timing
Across Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent and the Tri-Cities, the right timing depends on the home more than the zip code. A move-in-ready house in a popular price range can do well any month of the year. A property on acreage in Goochland or Hanover, where the land is a big part of the appeal, may benefit from being shown in spring. Your agent should be able to show you how similar homes near you have sold at different times of year before you decide.
How Heather and I approach listing timing
At Two Dog Realty, Heather and I handle every client ourselves, with no handoffs. For sellers, the timing conversation starts well before the sign goes in the yard. We walk the house, talk honestly about what buyers will notice, and look at the competition you'd face this fall versus next spring. Sometimes the answer is "list in three weeks." Sometimes it's "let's use the winter." Either way, it's a plan instead of a guess.
Key Takeaways
Spring brings more buyers, but it also brings many more competing listings at once.
Fall buyers usually have a deadline, which makes them serious buyers.
If your house is ready, don't let the calendar talk you out of listing in the fall.
Wait for spring if your home needs real preparation or its outdoor space is the main selling point.
If you wait, use the winter to prepare so you can list the first warm week.
Selling in the fall? Price for the fall market and light the house for short days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fall a good time to sell a house in Richmond, VA?
For a home that's ready to show and priced correctly, often yes. Fall usually brings fewer competing listings and buyers with a real reason to move, like a job start or an ending lease. Curt Reichstetter of Two Dog Realty recommends basing the decision on your home's readiness, not the season alone.
Should I wait until spring to sell my house?
Wait if your home needs meaningful preparation or if its outdoor space is a major selling point that shows best in spring. Don't wait only because spring feels safer. Spring brings more buyers, but it also brings more competing listings.
Why are there more homes for sale in the spring?
Many homeowners hold off through the winter and list as soon as the weather turns warm. That means buyers have more choices in spring, and sellers face more competition, often from similar homes listed the same weekend.
Are fall homebuyers more serious than spring buyers?
Often, yes. Buyers who shop in the fall and winter usually have a deadline, such as a new job, an ending lease or a growing family. There are fewer of them, but they tend to be ready to make decisions.
Do homes sell during the holidays in Richmond?
Yes. Activity slows after Thanksgiving, but serious buyers keep looking, and closings happen in December. Keep decorations simple so buyers can see the house, and keep saying yes to showings.
Should I take my house off the market over the holidays?
It depends on your situation and your listing agreement. In Virginia, the listing agreement sets the terms for changes and withdrawals, so read yours and talk with your agent first. Many sellers stay on the market because the buyers looking in December are usually motivated.
How should I price my home if I list in the fall?
Price it for the market buyers see today, not for what a neighbor got in the spring. A home priced for spring and listed in the fall tends to sit, and a listing that carries into December can lose leverage.
How do I make my home show well when the days are short?
Schedule listing photos in the middle of the day, turn on every light before evening showings, and keep the porch light on. Keep leaves raked and walkways clear. A well-lit house feels larger and warmer to buyers.
If I'm waiting for spring, when should I start getting ready?
Start in January. Walk the house with your agent, decide which repairs and updates are worth doing, finish the work over the winter and schedule photography for the first stretch of good weather. That way you can list early instead of scrambling.
Is the Richmond real estate market seasonal again?
Yes. After several years when every season felt like spring, Richmond has returned to a more traditional pattern: a busy spring, a cooler summer, an active fall and a quieter stretch from Thanksgiving to late March.
Keep Learning
Why the First 7 Days on the Market Matter When Selling Your Richmond, VA Home
Preparing Your Richmond Home for Sale: What Actually Matters
Why Homes Sit on the Market in Richmond, VA (And What You Can Do About It)
Is Richmond, VA a Buyer's Market in Fall 2026? Not Exactly. Here's What a Normal Market Looks Like
Browse the Selling and Local Market questions in the Two Dog Realty FAQ
Thinking about selling in Richmond?
If you're planning to sell in Richmond and want to make sure you're not just waiting for spring because everyone else does, but choosing the timing that fits your house, book a strategy call. I'd be glad to help you build a smart plan from the start.
Curt Reichstetter
Two Dog Realty
804-370-1210
curt@curtsellsrva.com
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