In the Richmond metro, spring is the best time to sell a house, and December and January are the slowest. From March through June, listings have spent the fewest days on the market and list prices have hit their highs, while the holiday stretch has been the slowest part of every year since 2017, according to Realtor.com data published by the St. Louis Fed (FRED). The best time for you also depends on what waiting costs and whether you’re facing a deadline.
I’m Joe. My family runs Sell Richmond Home Fast, and I’ve been buying houses around here since 2010. Sellers ask me “Should I wait for spring?” every fall, so I pulled the actual numbers instead of guessing.
The short version
- Fastest months: April through June, with medians in the 36 to 38 day range in 2026.
- Highest list prices: late spring and early summer (May 2025 and June 2026).
- Slowest months: December and January, with medians of 56 to 59 days lately.
- Waiting isn’t free: each month you hold a house costs you a mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and utilities.
Days on market: how long a listing stays active before it goes under contract or comes off the market. Realtor.com reports the median, so half of listings sold faster and half slower.
The best month to sell a house in Richmond
Fastest months: median days on market
Here’s the Richmond-metro median days on market by month, from Realtor.com data on FRED (series MEDDAYONMAR40060):
| Month | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 56 | 59 |
| February | 49 | 48 |
| March | 44 | 39 |
| April | 36 | 38 |
| May | 37 | 36 |
| June | 43 | 37 |
| July | 43 | 40 |
| August | 46 | 44 |
| September | 46 | 44 |
| October | 45 | – |
| November | 49 | – |
| December | 59 | – |
April and May led both years. The gap between the best and worst months is about three weeks, which is real but not huge.
Highest list prices: median list price by month
These are asking prices, not sale prices (FRED series MEDLISPRI40060):
| Month | Median list price |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | $421,225 |
| March 2025 | $444,900 |
| May 2025 (peak) | $460,000 |
| August 2025 | $429,500 |
| December 2025 | $425,484 |
| January 2026 | $429,900 |
| April 2026 | $449,975 |
| June 2026 | $450,000 |
| September 2026 | $439,925 |
Keep in mind that a median list price also reflects which houses happen to be listed that month. A higher spring median doesn’t mean your particular house is worth more in May.
The slowest stretch: December and January
The holidays have been the slow season in this data every year. December 2016 hit a median of 73 days and December 2017 hit 71. Lately it’s been closer to two months: 59 days in December 2025 and again in January 2026. There are fewer buyers out, but the ones touring in the cold usually mean it.
What the fall 2026 market looks like
Buyers have more to choose from this fall. FRED shows 3,472 active listings in the Richmond metro in September 2026, up from 2,864 a year earlier and from a low of 1,975 in February 2026.
Keeton & Co’s September 2026 report, using Central Virginia Regional MLS data, shows 1,025 sales, 2.8 months of supply, 3,314 active listings, and price cuts on 25.9% of listings. Keeton says the typical home sold in 12 days, but that’s a different way of counting days than Realtor.com’s median, so don’t compare the two numbers directly.
Should you wait until spring? What waiting costs
Monthly carrying costs
If you wait from November to April, you’re paying five or six more months of mortgage, insurance, utilities, upkeep, and real estate tax. Here’s the tax piece alone, as an example on a house assessed at $300,000:
| Locality | Rate per $100 | Per year | About per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Richmond | $1.20 | $3,600 | $300 |
| Chesterfield County | $0.89 | $2,670 | $223 |
| Henrico County | $0.83 | $2,490 | $208 |
Add in the rest and the total can run well past that. For a fuller tally, see what holding a house costs each month.
Price risk
Nobody knows what spring 2027 prices will be, including me. Spring has brought higher list prices in recent years, but more listings this fall means more competition, and that could carry into spring. Waiting is a bet, not a sure thing.
When waiting makes sense
Waiting can pay off if you need the winter to finish repairs or clean out, you have no deadline, and the house costs you little to hold. If all three are true, spring is a reasonable plan.
When the calendar matters less than your deadline
For a lot of sellers the calendar isn’t the deciding factor. A job transfer, an inherited house nobody’s living in, a buyer who backed out, or paying two mortgages at once can make an extra few months expensive. Our guide to how long it takes to sell a house in Richmond lays out each stage, and if your deal already fell apart, here’s what to do if your buyer falls through.
Selling in the slow season
Selling in winter works when you price from recent closed sales nearby, not from spring listings. Keep the house show-ready, leave lights and heat on for showings, and plan around the holidays. If it’s been sitting a while already, read why a house won’t sell before you cut the price.
Selling on your own timeline with a cash buyer
If you’d rather skip the seasons entirely, we buy houses in Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, and nearby any month of the year. We buy as-is for cash, there are no commissions or fees, and I pay the closing costs. We can close in about 7 days or on the date you pick. Request a cash offer or call (804) 293-0208, 7 AM to 7 PM. I reply within 3 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to sell a house in Richmond, VA?
Spring, usually April through June. In 2025 and 2026, Richmond-metro listings had their lowest median days on market and their highest median list prices in those months, based on Realtor.com data via FRED. May 2026, for example, had a median of 36 days on market.
What is the worst time to sell a house in Richmond?
December and January. They’ve had the most days on market in every year from 2017 through 2026, and January 2026 had a median of 59 days. Fewer people shop over the holidays, though the ones who do tend to be serious.
Should I sell my house now or wait until spring?
It depends on what waiting costs you. Spring listings tend to sell faster, but you keep paying the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities each month, and nobody can promise spring prices will be higher. With a deadline or a house that’s costing you monthly, selling now can come out ahead.
Is fall a good time to sell a house in Richmond?
It can be. Early fall in Richmond has moved faster than winter, but supply in fall 2026 was higher than a year earlier, so pricing from recent sales matters more.
How long does it take to sell a house in Richmond?
On the open market, the median Richmond-metro listing spent 36 to 59 days on market in 2026, depending on the month, per Realtor.com data via FRED. Closing takes more time after you accept an offer. A cash sale can close in about 7 days or on your timeline.
Market figures are past data, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com via FRED (series MEDDAYONMAR40060, MEDLISPRI40060, ACTLISCOU40060); Keeton & Co, September 2026; City of Richmond, Chesterfield County, and Henrico County tax rate pages. Different sources count days on market differently.