Without a doubt, this is the question we get asked the most.
Is there a better time to sell?
If we take your personal circumstances out of the equation, then September and February are always the busiest times with the most buyers, but they’re also the times with the most competition. There’s no question that we have had some fantastic results in Spring and Summer, but we’ve also had some fantastic results in the middle of winter, when no one else wanted to be on the market.
Your agent should be able to help you decide whether or not it’s a good time to put your home on the market based on their experience and industry knowledge, but you should always make sure that they’re giving you the best advice for your situation and not what suits their timelines best.
Spring is a great time to sell a property because the weather is good and there are more buyers around. People have been putting off going out looking during the cold rainy winter months and now they’re ready to go.
However, if you’re planning to move in February for a new job, or you’ve bought in April with a six-week settlement, then September is probably the worst possible time to sell. .
The best time to sell is when it fits with your circumstances.
But everyone says Spring is when you should sell!
Let’s turn this around for a minute and look at an example with some easy numbers if you’re selling and buying in the same market. If the market is up by 10% in Spring, and your house is worth $1,000,000, you will sell it for $1,100,000, great! Right? Then you go and buy your new bigger house that you’ve been dreaming about, for $2,000,000 and because the market is up by 10% you pay $2,200,000. Wait, so we actually lost $100,000 by selling in the busiest time?
Will your agent be able to sell as easily in winter as in summer?
As we said above, great agents get great results in any market. A great agent will maximise the sale price of your property regardless of what’s happening outside, they should have a strategy based on current market conditions and execute it well.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, it’s hard to know exactly when is the best time to sell your property.
But there are many factors that can affect how long it takes and how much you will get; things like whether the market is hot or cool, whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market and whether there are more or less properties on the market, and these things don’t necessarily rely on the time of year.
So, while there isn’t necessarily a “best” time to sell, following these tips will help you maximise your chances:
- Get an agent who has a great strategy, no matter what else is happening.
- Prepare well, get everything done that needs to be done, present the property well.
Don’t just follow the crowd! A great agent will be able to get you the best result any time of the year. We’ll give you a comprehensive market appraisal, the earlier the better to help you have all the information to make good decisions.
But the most important thing is to have a well thought out and executed strategy based around your personal circumstances and current market conditions. If you’re not getting that from your agent, have a chat with us today.