Selling in warmer months

Traditionally, spring has long been considered the best time of year to sell a property. Your garden and outdoor area will probably look their best in spring, and temperatures mean more people will be out and about and likely to look into an open home. This being said, in Australasia, we see a lot of properties enter the market heading into autumn, with March, April and May usually attracting a large number of new listings and auctions. Whilst this means there’s also a lot of buyer activity, if you’re wanting to set your property apart from the crowd you might consider listing your property earlier
in the year.

Listing a property around February means you’ll get the jump on listings that tend to come onto the market from March onwards, and it also means you’ll start to attract buyers after a long holiday period. This may target buyers who have had time off over the Christmas and New Year period and have had time to reflect on their next big move for the coming year, including buying a new property.

Selling in cooler months

Whilst not the traditional time of year most agents will tell you to list your property, winter could still be the right time of year to list your home for sale. One advantage to listing your home during the cooler months is the relative lack of competition, with other sellers holding off until the spring period. With fewer homes on the market, your property has a much better chance of standing out.

The location of your home may also play a part. If your property is within an area which snows, or is nestled at the foot of a mountain range that looks particularly beautiful in winter, you can use the season to capitalise on views and winter activities. It’s also an opportunity to show how warm, comfortable and inviting your home can be in winter. Make the most of features like fire places and wood stoves, light candles, and use plush cushions and warm throws throughout living areas.

Selling over the school holidays

There’s lots of commentary on whether or not listing your property for sale during a school holiday period is a good idea. One school of thought is that this is a great time of year, with people able to view open homes and even attend auctions held mid-week. Another suggests this isn’t the best time of year, with people often travelling away from home, or switching off during their downtime.

According to the end of year auction data from Harcourts Group Australia, looking at the percentage of clearance rates, December actually achieved more sales through auction than October and only slightly less than November, with 55.89% of properties selling before or at auction in December 2014, compared with 53.41% and 56.35% respectively. These figures would suggest that buyers are no less active, at least at auctions, during school holidays.

There are merits to listing your home at several different times of the year, so ask your Harcourts sales consultant which time of year they would recommend for your home and location, as they’ll be able to draw on their market insights and knowledge and make an informed suggestion for your situation.