Timeshares 2025: Buying, Selling, Trading Up

During the winter, our readers are more interested in buying, selling, or trading timeshares.

It’s been a cold winter in much of the country. Snow in Jacksonville, Florida, anyone? If you’re considering one, you’ll want to read this before you go to the so-called “free” lunch.

How Difficult Are Timeshares To Sell?

Q: Our timeshare is paid for. We don’t want it anymore. Can we just stop paying the annual dues? The resort can repossess it or whatever.

Q: I have a timeshare in Palm Canyon, California that I’ve never visited. I have paid the dues faithfully since 1997. I am not in default. Preferably, I would like to relinquish ownership or trade up for something in New England, closer to where we live. My husband and I are also aging and do not travel as much as we used to. At least if it was closer, we might get to use it. We are open to suggestions.

A: We wish we had a dollar for every letter we’ve received over the years asking how to get rid of timeshares.

So, let’s start with this: In our many years of writing this column, we have yet to receive a single letter from a reader who successfully sold their timeshare by using the services of one of the many timeshare companies that require an upfront fee. And now, a warning: If you own a timeshare and want to sell it, you’ll have to be very diligent and careful in the steps you take to get it sold.

Getting Rid of a Timeshare Property

From our perspective, there are two types of timeshare companies. Large ones have hundreds of properties. They typically use a point system, assigning various numbers of points for the different types of properties they offer. Small timeshare companies may just own one property.

The larger companies allow you to use your timeshare in the exact manner you purchased it. But you also can elect to go to any other property they manage by trading in points that you receive each year or have accumulated. If you have enough points, you can usually get the property you want at the time that you need it.

These larger companies also typically have an exit team that can assist you with the sale of your timeshare unit. Don’t expect to make money when you sell your timeshare. The benefit is being able to get rid of it when you no longer want it. Many owners keep their timeshare and simply use the annual points to stay at other properties around the world. Eventually, when they die, their kids will inherit the timeshare and can decide whether to keep it or sell it.

Timeshare Horror Story

The real problems come with single property timeshares (SPT). Let’s say you purchased an SPT at a vacation resort in Cancun or Phoenix. In this situation, you can only sell it to another person looking to buy at that specific resort. Your market of prospective buyers is limited. Worse, you’re competing with new, flashier or more modern timeshare properties that come online each year.

If your SPT property has a process for buying back your ownership interest, go for it. However, we suspect that the management company at the resort doesn’t want to purchase the timeshare as it would fall on them to resell it and carry the costs of the unit until it sells. Your best bet would be to find other owners in the resort that are looking for additional weeks or have other family members that want to buy into the same resort.

Sometimes owners will push fliers under the doors of the other units to try to generate some interest. They think: if someone else is staying in my particular week, then perhaps they have a friend who would like to come with them. Good thinking. But, some timeshare properties prohibit this, and you could wind up getting fined.

What Happens to My Timeshare After My Death?

It can be tough to find the right person to buy into an SPT resort. In the case of our reader who prefers a timeshare resort in New England that is closer to where they live, they’ll need to sell first and then try to find what they want on the East Coast. On the other hand, if they are with a larger company that has a sales office that helps owners buy and sell or use points, they could likely use those points to stay at a property closer to where they live.

So, if your timeshare doesn’t offer an exit strategy, and you still want to sell, consider a DIY approach. Some online marketplaces will allow you to auction it off. Some take a percentage of the sale or charge a small fee for listing your timeshare. Just know you’ll be competing with lots of other owners. Be prepared to just give the unit away for nothing, or very little.

Timeshares and Estate Planning: Is Probate Necessary?

We’ve written about how to sell timeshares before. But, as a refresher, start by choosing the website or listing company carefully. Before you sign any agreements, independently check the site or company for complaints. Read those carefully so you know what you’re getting into. Figure out how you will get paid. Read your timeshare property materials to understand the exact process your timeshare development uses to transfer units from a seller to a buyer. Keep in mind that in some states, if your buyer purchases your timeshare and they default, you might continue to be on the hook for maintenance fees.

About that: Some states have enacted laws that would keep sellers on the hook for maintenance fees after the sale of their timeshare unit. Presumably, some sellers found a way to “sell” their timeshares to a shell company that simply went out of business after their purchase of the timeshare. To remedy this situation, some states’ legislation is written to keep the seller on the hook for a certain period of time after the sale.

Is a Timeshare a Good Idea?

If your timeshare property offers the services of its sales team, consider the fees they’ll charge. You need to know what the transaction costs are, and understand any other fees you or the buyer might need to pay to transfer the timeshare.