Buying or selling a home isn’t a short process. From the time you find the perfect home or a buyer to the final closing, there are steps in between that must be taken care of. People buy and sell homes year-round, but some seasons may be more convenient for the market than others. Here’s why fall is a great time to buy or sell a home.

Buying

For buyers, you may be able to find better deals on homes in the fall. Sellers typically list their homes in spring for prices most buyers aren’t willing to pay. Since it’s harder to find a serious buyer after Labor Day, sellers may start to lower the price just to get their home moved before winter rolls in.

Buying a home in fall also means there are fewer serious buyers looking, so you’ll have less competition when it comes to finding your new home. Since there are less buyers in fall, you may be able to submit a reasonable offer and still get the home since it’s unlikely the seller will have many other offers coming in during the cooler months.

Since buying or selling a home is an investment with tax consequences, many sellers are looking to sell before the end of the year for tax purposes. This means you may be able to strike better deals in fall since the end of the year will be approaching rapidly.

Approaching holidays are another reason why fall is a great time to buy or sell a home. Nobody wants to be in the process of buying or selling during the holidays so sellers may offer discounts on the listed price just to move the property so they can focus on the coming holidays.

Selling

One of the reasons why fall is a great time to sell a home is because there are more serious buyers around this time. Most buyers want to purchase a home before the holidays and the new year, meaning you’ll have buyers who are serious about getting into a home quickly. This may also mean there’s less competition since sellers try to rush closing by the end of summer. Buyers with limited options may be more willing to settle for a home they wouldn’t have considered before if they are desperately trying to get into a home before the holidays.

Before you sell your home, you’ll want to make any repairs or improvements your home needs. Depending on your location, getting these repairs done in the spring or summer may be difficult due to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains or high temperatures. Selling your home in the fall allows you to make improvements in milder weather without a high risk of severe storms and other weather that may interfere with repairs.

Whether you’re putting your house on the market or looking for a new place to call home, fall is a great time to buy or sell a home. Buying in fall means lower prices for buyers since sellers are trying to move property before the new year. You may also be able to take advantage of tax deductions for that year if you close before the end of the year. Less competition during fall means you’re more likely to find a buyer quickly. If you can wait until fall to buy or sell a home, you can take advantage of the many benefits the season brings to the market.