When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in the Fraser Valley? What 24 Months of Board Data Show

By the real estate board's own numbers, spring is the most reliable time to sell a house in the Fraser Valley. We read every monthly release from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board for the 24 months from October 2024 to September 2026. The figures also show the cost of a spring sale: more sellers list in spring, so your house has more competition.

This guide is for owners planning a sale, often after many years in the same house. It shows the months side by side, then works backward to a plan.

Which month do the most houses sell in the Fraser Valley?

In the first nine months of each year, June. The board counted 431 detached sales in June 2025 and 420 in June 2026, with May close behind both times (405 and 413).

The single busiest month of the 24 was October 2024, with 470 detached sales. October 2025 had 378, so the autumn result changed from one year to the next. The spring result held in both years.

January was the lowest month both times: 242 detached sales in January 2025 and 191 in January 2026. January 2026 had less than half the sales of June 2026.

The table below gives every month from October 2025 to September 2026, with the same month a year earlier for comparison.

Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board monthly statistics packages, October 2025 to September 2026, detached houses, all areas combined. "Share of houses for sale that sold" is that month's detached sales divided by its active detached listings, which is how the board works out its sales-to-active listings ratio. The board gave no average days to sell for December 2025.

Which month do houses sell fastest?

May 2026, at an average of 35 days. April and June 2026 followed at 37 days each, and March at 39. The slowest month was January 2026, at 55 days, and November 2025 took 52.

So the average house sold 20 days faster in May 2026 than in January 2026. These are averages across every detached house the board counted, so a single house can take longer or less time. In our experience, the condition of the house and its price matter more than the month.

Why does spring bring more competition too?

Because more owners list then. New detached listings peaked in spring in both years: 1,449 in May 2025 and 1,303 in April 2026. December had the fewest new listings, with 385 in December 2024 and 416 in December 2025.

The number of houses for sale follows the same pattern. It reached 3,515 in June 2026 and fell to 2,348 in December 2025. A seller in April shares the buyers with more than 3,000 other detached listings.

The last column of the table puts both sides together. It shows what share of the houses for sale actually sold that month. In the 12 months to September 2026, that share was highest in December (13.2%) and lowest in January (7.5%). Spring months sat near 12%.

Is December or January a bad time to list?

They are different. December had few buyers and also few sellers, so the share of houses that sold was the highest of the year. An owner who is ready in December faces the least competition.

January was the weakest month on every measure we looked at: the fewest sales, the longest time to sell, and the lowest share of houses that sold. In our experience, a house listed in January often sells in February or March, once buyers return.

What does a buyer's market mean for your timing?

The board describes a balanced market as one where the sales-to-active listings ratio sits between 12 and 20 per cent. Below 12, buyers have more choice and more room to negotiate. For detached houses, the ratio stayed under 12 per cent in 10 of the 12 months to September 2026. December 2025 (13.2%) and April 2026 (12.0%) were the exceptions.

The year before looked different in the autumn. In October 2024 the detached ratio was 15.1% and in December 2024 it was 14.8%, inside the board's balanced range. The market changes from year to year, so a month that was strong last year may be weaker this year.

For a seller this means two things. Price the house for the market you are in, using recent sales of similar houses. And expect buyers to ask for conditions such as an inspection, which are normal in a market like this one.

When should a downsizer start, if the goal is a spring sale?

Work backward from the listing date. If you want the house on the market for April, May and June, list it in March or April. In our experience, that means starting in January:

1. January. Get a price for your house and decide what you want to keep. Our free home value gives you a price range by email.
2. February. Clear rooms, book small repairs, and think about a pre-listing inspection. Our guide to getting an older house ready to sell lists what to fix and what to leave.
3. March. Take photos once the garden starts to look green, and list.
4. April to June. The months with the most sales and the shortest average time to sell in 2026.

Owners who have lived in a house for 20 years or more usually need more time to sort and clear it than they expect. Give yourself the extra month.

When does timing matter less than other things?

The season is one factor among several. If you need to buy your next home first, the order of the two deals matters more than the month. Our guide to selling first or buying first covers that choice. If a move is needed for health or family, the date you need to move matters more than the month.

In our experience, price matters most of all. A house priced above recent sales of similar houses can sit through the whole spring. A house priced near them can sell in December.

Next step

Every plan above starts with one number: what your house would sell for today. Ask us for a free home value, and a BC-licensed REALTOR® will email you a price range based on recent sales of homes like yours. You do not have to sell with us. Our downsizing checklist and the rest of the downsizing guide cover each step of the move.

This representation is based in whole or in part on data generated by the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board or Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which assume no responsibility for its accuracy.