Have you ever considered when is the best time to sell your home? It’s probably not when you think.

Working as professional property stylists, we see behind the scenes of the real estate industry. We also love to provide selling your home tips.  For some people, selling their home is due to circumstance. For others, the allure of spring and summer gets them holding off selling through the winter months.  Just because the flowers aren’t blooming and the weather is cooling, doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to sell your property.

What do our leading sales agents say?

Trever Molenaar from  molenaar + mcneice explains: “The stats generally say there is no perfect time of year to sell. Outside factors like interest rate rises or drops and world events play a bigger part than the minor peaks and troughs each month goes through. Traditionally in the warmer months in spring and summer properties generally look better as gardens are greener and more light throughout the day. Buyers can peak in some areas especially tourist towns however the competition rises steeply. Most home owners have exactly the same thought pattern and in some areas listing numbers can double of triple. “

Year after year we see the same house sale patterns emerge from real estate sale and property styling data: Contrary to popular belief,  buyers don’t stop browsing the sales listing when it gets cold.  They just don’t!  They still have money to spend. Chances are they are laser focused in buying their next property regardless of the season.

Figures from 2016 and 2017 by CoreLogic RP Data back up the seasonal nature of the property market. Across all eight capital cities, there were more listings recorded in the spring months of September, October and November than the other three seasons.

Here are some things to consider when selling a property during the winter months: 

1) COMPETITION 

Lets just say you held off selling in winter because you want to sell in the bumper spring or summer season. Yes the gardens are flowering and the sun is shining – but guess what? Majority of the competition are listing at the same time! Competition is at an all time high in these bumper months which can adversely affect your sale price. Who’s to say competition is always a bad thing? Often, competition can work in your favour, however, stock is typically lower during June, July and August. Lower stock gives you the added advantage as less is on the property market, making your property really stand out. With less properties advertised during the winter months, it is essential that your property photos are on point! Professional property styling really draws the eye to your property photos both online and in print. If you are considering selling your home and want to discuss maximising your sale price click here for more information.

2) LIMITED MONTHS 

Sure September and October are beautiful months of the year, although every October the Xmas stock is pouring into department stores and the haunt of Christmas starts to linger. Everything is affected by Christmas, which could mean your property sale. If you list during the quieter months (typically June, July, August) you avoid that December interruption all together. For some people the end of the year is the preferred time to sell or buy, as they like to close off sale transactions for the calendar year.

3) HOLIDAY PERIOD

Property styling works to really draw a crowd for your open house. Spring & Summer, however, are bumper holiday periods, which can really affect your open house attendance numbers. Many people plan to go away during the holidays and the last thing on their mind is refinancing and getting busy buying real estate.  School holidays usually spell a lull in real estate listings, according to Real Estate Institute of Australia president Malcolm Gunning, because families postpone house hunting in favour of spending time with the kids. Selling your home tips: “Family units are big spenders and they pack up and go away during the school holidays, which means as a seller you lose a large proportion of prospective buyers.”

4) WINTER MOODProperty styling in winter means luxe layers of throws and warm textures. We love the cooler weather to really turn up the ambiance by stacking fires with timber, cutting warm crusty bread on boards, and lighting warm fragrant candles.   If you are considering selling and want to discuss maximising your sale price click here to check out some of our recent styling.

SELLING YOUR HOME TIPS: THE TRUTH IS

Whether the sun is shining or hiding, or whether the real estate market is booming or idle, having your property professionally styled will maximise your sale price. When we capture the hearts and minds of buyers, we influence their buying decisions.

Our goal is to help you achieve a massive sale return, by creating beautifully styled spaces. If you are looking for selling your home tips, and are serious about maximising your sale price.. get in touch