A question I get all the time from buyers, especially first-time buyers, is whether they should wait for a better season to buy. So I pulled the last five years of average sale price data for Saskatoon to see what the numbers actually say.
The short answer: there is a seasonal pattern, and January is usually the cheapest month of the year. The longer answer is more interesting — and the right move for any one buyer depends on what they're really trying to solve for.
The pattern
Here's the average gap between each month's sold prices and the annual average, across 2021 through 2025:
Gaps shown relative to annual average. Source: MLS average sale price data, Saskatoon, 2021–2025.
January has landed in the bottom three cheapest months in four of the last five years. June has landed in the top three most expensive months in four of the last five years. The pattern is reasonably consistent, even though the exact cheapest and priciest months can shift around.
Why this happens
Worth being honest here. An average sale price is not the same thing as "the same house costs less in January." Part of what you're seeing is a mix effect. Higher-priced executive homes tend to come on the market and sell more often in spring and summer, which pulls the average up. Starter homes and condos make up more of the winter sales mix, which pulls the average down.
That doesn't mean the seasonal discount isn't real for a buyer. It just means the per-square-foot story is a bit softer than the headline number suggests.
The catches
Fewer new listings come on between November and February. If you want a specific kind of home in a specific neighbourhood, your shortlist may be shorter.
Prices in Saskatoon have been rising 6 to 8% year over year recently. The seasonal discount in January is roughly 4% below the annual average. Waiting nine months for next January can give back the seasonal saving — and then some — if prices keep climbing.
In 2022 the cheapest month was October. In 2025 it was March. Consistent enough to plan around, but not absolute.
What I'd tell a buyer
If you have flexibility on timing and you're not chasing a specific property, the January through March window has historically given you the best price position on the average home. You'll trade some selection for some value.
If you've found the right home in May or June, the seasonal premium is real but usually smaller than the cost of waiting another year. The bigger lever for buyers right now is finding the right property and negotiating well — not timing the calendar.
The data is genuinely neutral. Buy when you're ready, when the home fits, and when the financing works.
Want to talk through where you sit in this picture? Happy to walk through your situation, look at the months that make sense for your search, and pressure-test your timeline.
Get in touch →Source: MLS average sale price data for Saskatoon, 2021 through May 2026. Seasonal averages calculated from 2021 to 2025.