List Your House During May, And It Could Sell For $1,600 More

Your property will look “fresh” to the greatest number of potential buyers.

- Shaina Mishkin

ANY HOMEOWNER KNOWS a new coat of paint and a well-manicured lawn can make a big difference when it comes to selling your home—but so can the time of year.

Across the U.S., homes that hit the market in the first half of May generally sell for $1,600 more than the average $226,500, according to a new analysis by real estate listing company Zillow. That’s because the number of house hunters ramps up in the spring—as does the number of listings, says Skylar Olsen, Zillow’s director of economic research and outreach.