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Typically the only exciting thing about Thursday is that Friday is just around the corner. But a new report from Zillow is giving us another reason to love the often-overlooked weekday: Apparently the Thursday before Labor Day offers you the best chance to sell your home quickly and, more important, for over the asking price.
The summer holiday doesn’t just mark the unofficial end of the season; it’s traditionally when home buying starts to slow down as families aim to settle into their new places before kids head back to school. According to the real-estate hub, listing your property right before the holiday weekend gets it in front of all those buyers who are feeling the pressure to make a decision fast. (Psst: Per 2019 data, the worst time to list for those looking for more money are the weeks of October 14 and 21.)
So why Thursday? It’s the day house hunters are mapping out their weekend tour plans (places listed on Saturday or Sunday are the least likely to sell above list price and will likely sit for at least eight days longer). “With the market as competitive as it is today, this timing strategy gives sellers the best chance at seeing multiple offers on their home, from my experience,” Jeff Knipe, president of Knipe Realty in Portland, Oregon, told Zillow.
If you really want to up your chances of selling your home by the end of the long weekend, consider staging your space (designer Kirsten Blazek recommends unmounting the TV, hiding personal photographs, and hanging plants in empty corners) and refreshing any drab walls in either Aged Beige, Campfire Ash, or Polar Bear—white paint swatches Zillow says attract buyers. These days, when half of homes are selling within a week, a few days can make a major difference.