For quite a few years, planning a closing date was pretty easy.

We'd list your home... it would go under contract within a week... and you'd close about 30 days later. So if you knew when you were listing, you pretty much knew when you'd be moving.

Now? Not so much.

Let's say we list your home on November 1. Here are a few of the many ways the timing could play out...

Under contract November 5, closing December 5 or December 15
Under contract November 30, closing December 30 or January 15
Under contract December 15, closing January 31
Under contract January 5, closing February 15

That's quite a range. You might be moving before Christmas... or you might still be living in your house on Valentine's Day.

The time from list date to closing date will vary based on price range, property type and location, and house to house - and because it will vary, it requires a slightly different kind of planning.

Be Ready to Move Quickly

Some homes are still going under contract within days. If yours is one of them, you could be closing (and out of your home) in about a month.

So before we list, we should think through... if we have a contract next week, where would you go? Would you need short-term housing or storage? Would you want to ask the buyer for a later closing date?

It's easier to think about those questions now rather than when we're looking at an offer with a 24-hour response deadline.

But Be Ready to Wait, Too

On the other hand, it might take a while, particularly heading into the holidays, when fewer buyers are out looking.

So... Plan for Both

It would be great if we could know exactly how quickly your home would go under contract... but since we can't... let's plan for both scenarios so that you're prepared for any timeline that presents itself.