When to sell? Now or New Year?

[runningLou]

We've had our house valued by 4 agents (all gave same price within 5k so I think that's probably fair), but they all had very different opinions about when we should put the house on the market - some said straight away, others said wait for the New Year when there'll be more buyers around ...
At the moment we have no mortgage, and once we sell we'd rent locally before moving up to Manchester at the end of the school year. So every month in our house is a month without rent to pay and we can save more ... But, if the house doesn't sell fairly quickly in the New Year, it will get difficult for us to plan moving, and sort out kids' schools and so on.
Just not sure what to do for the best!!

Where are you selling? If it's London I'd say wait as things are moving so fast here. I'm not sure about other areas sorry!

So every month in our house is a month without rent to pay and we can save more

Don't forget you'd have some interest income on the proceeds of your house sale. Interest rates aren't great (obviously), but it should still make a dent in the rent.

Don't you have to apply for schools by end of Jan? Or is that just new starters? We're in Yorkshire, ours went within 2 weeks, but now can't blimmin find anything to buy...

Yes, you need to apply for schools by end of Jan - but there's no way we'll have an address up in Manchester by then, and DH is a teacher and doesn't want to move until summer holidays. So we'll have to be making late applications for kids' schools :(
I'm hoping maybe we could possibly buy around Easter time, and maybe manage paying a mortgage up in Manchester as well as rent here (Coventry, so different market than London!) for a couple of months, just until the end of the school year.
No point thinking about schools until we have an address anyway as they just won't take us seriously until then :(

I would say market now. Gardens still looking ok etc. In the new yr drab skies, bad weather make less favourable impressions and are much quietrt months. You would in reality be drferring until March??

Really good point! Hadn't even thought about the garden (DH's domain!!) but it's true nowhere looks quite as good covered in brown leaves and mud.
Thank you!