We want to move next summer. When do we actually need to start?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
About nine months out — which surprises people, because the transaction itself only takes two or three. The rest is everything before the sign goes up: decluttering a decade or two, the small repairs you've stopped seeing. Add a pre-list conversation about what's worth doing and what isn't, plus lining up where you're going.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
A summer move, worked backward: list in March or April. Finish prep by late winter. Make the fix-or-not decisions after a January walkthrough. Start the sorting now, one room at a time, before any deadline makes it miserable. If you're buying on the other end, start the lender conversation the same month — pre-approval is the slowest fast thing in real estate.
(The pattern I see every year: households that start "too early" coast into their move. Households that start in April sprint through it.) Starting early costs a walkthrough. Starting late costs money, sleep, or both.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Pricing & equityHow much money do we actually walk away with when we sell?Read the answer
- Divorce & separationWhat if the house is worth less than we owe?Read the answer
- Pricing & equityWhy is the Zillow number different from what my agent says my house is worth?Read the answer
- Sudden wealth & business saleI sold my business and I feel a little lost. Is now even the time to move?Read the answer
- Costs & taxes, Minnesota-specificWhat does it actually cost to sell a house in Minnesota?Read the answer
- Timing & seasonalityShould we wait for rates to drop before we sell and move up?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.