Choosing the right time of year to sell your property is an inexact science.
Sometimes you just get lucky with a quiet auction weekend and a band of ready buyers marching their way to your door to start a bidding frenzy. And other times things don’t quite take off, despite you and your agent choosing what should, in theory, be a prime time to sell.
But there are some general rules about the time of year you should sell certain types of homes, which will give them a better chance of achieving a standout result.
Ask your agent if there’s a prime time to sell for your property type. Picture: Getty
By the beach? Do it in summer
If you’re considering selling and you live in a beachside property, or own a holiday home you want to put on the market, it makes sense to do it when you have a ready-made stream of potential buyers right on your doorstep.
Wakelin Property Advisory executive director, Jarrod McCabe says that’s usually during the summer months, when people flock to the beach – and the properties that surround it.
“When you talk about holiday locations, for example in Melbourne, it’s the Bellarine or Mornington Peninsulas, or popular tree-change type locations,” McCabe says.
“Melbourne is quite dormant over the January period and even into early February, but that’s the prime time to be selling property down on the two peninsulas because that’s when they’ve got the most activity and most people around. You do find the supply levels down there really pick up over the summer break.”
McCabe says it’s a similar story for beachside suburbs that are closer to capital cities.
“Bayside-type suburbs become quite popular in the early part of the year because people have lived a beach lifestyle over summer, have spent time there and enjoyed themselves.”
“We often see properties, particularly apartments with good outdoor space – a large balcony or a courtyard of some description – in Bayside areas perform really well in that February to March period. The six to eight weeks of no activity over the festive period generates pent-up demand.”
Coastal properties are popular earlier on in the year because many people have enjoyed a beach lifestyle over the summer. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Selling a family home? Avoid the holidays
Just like beachside homes will find a stronger audience in summer, family homes will almost always perform better on the market when families are actually in the area to inspect them.
And if you’re one of the tens of millions of Australians who live in or around capital cities, that time is not during the school holidays.
“A lot of people are away, so steer clear of that and make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance to maximise your buyer profile,” McCabe advises.
Instead, he suggests selling during other times of the year – like the middle of a school term – when families are active locally.
If you want your home to appeal to families, sell in the middle of a school term. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Have a garden? Spring or autumn are your best picks
McCabe says the success of a sales campaign at particular times of year usually centres on how well the property’s features present, rather than the type of property itself.
For properties with a garden, spring or autumn always paints them in a more advantageous light, McCabe says.
“If you’ve got a garden that’s a real feature of your property and a key selling point, so showing it off when it’s at its best is going to help sell your property,” he says.
“Spring is quite often the season that comes to mind as the best time to sell if you have a garden, but gardens often look beautiful in autumn, too, so that can be an attractive option. Obviously that’s going to push up the price, as opposed to the middle of winter when the grass can be dead and gardens don’t look as good.”
If your property looks attractive in spring, McCabe says you might be best to show it off earlier than you think, to avoid having too much competition.
For properties with a garden, sell in spring or autumn when your home and garden look at their best. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“Typically, properties that do favour a spring sale would be focusing on the end of August, start of September, because then you get the benefit of the quieter months, as opposed to being in October when the market is flooded with stock.”
“You usually find demand is good during that time of year,” says McCabe. “People are prepared and coming out ready. You also get that bit of pent-up demand as well.”
North-facing? Follow the sun
McCabe says homes or apartments with a north-facing orientation can be more attractive in the middle of the year, when the sun sits lower in the sky and provides better light.
“Properties that have a north orientation are sometimes better off being sold during the cooler months when the sun is on a lower plane in the sky, so it emphasises that north sunlight coming in. That can certainly be a drawcard.”
