There’s nothing like schlepping a couch from a U-Haul to your 5th floor walkup in the freezing cold that makes you wish you’d waited until spring to move. In fact, spring is prime moving time in the Boston area, when listings are plentiful and the weather is bearable.
“While the spring real estate market here in Boston can be the most competitive time to buy or rent, I would also say it is the most exciting time of year in our beautiful city,” says Sarah Maguire of Compass Real Estate. “The harsh winter becomes a distant memory and you fall in love with this city all over again.”
Here’s a few reasons spring is the time to pack up and move into Boston.
Inventory is high
“For buyers, it’s a good time because it is usually the pinnacle of good housing inventory,” says Dan Duval of Elevated Realty. “Even though the market is a bit more competitive than other times of the year, buyers are more likely to find a product they really like and could see themselves living in. “
The latest buildings open their doors
“New construction becomes available this time of year, because work that may have slowed down during the winter is finally completed,” says Patrick Boyaggi, CEO of RateGravity, a Boston-based startup.
September 1st is the worst
There’s nothing worse than moving on September 1st in Boston. Not only is half the city changing apartments on that day, but the thousands of incoming college kids mean boatloads of traffic. It’s also significantly easier to book movers in the spring, rather than in the fall.
Incentives are everywhere
Many buildings are offering incentives to move, including months of free rent, parking and even gift cards. “A lot of the new construction buildings, especially in areas like the Seaport, still have a lot of vacancies to fill, so they are trying to get their occupancy rates up prior to the September 1st rent cycle,” says Duval.
Winter house and apartment hunting is terrible
Nobody wants to go to open houses when everything is covered in three feet of snow. “There is no question that warmer weather increases the number of home sales,” says Boyaggi. “Properties look more appealing and are easier to sell when the snow, ice and slush have melted and flowers are blooming.”
