When Is The Best Time To Sell Your Home?

Recently, I’ve attended several consults to help prepare a home to be listed for sale during spring. Credit to these homeowners, they are very prepared and giving themselves plenty of time to present their homes well. But I thought I would take the opportunity today to talk about why spring, with its’ flowers in bloom, green lawns and new foliage, isn’t necessarily the best or the worst time to sell. I would like to share with you, why there is no best time to sell your house, with each season bringing its own strengths.

Spring

Let’s start with the obvious. Spring brings beautiful blue skies, plentiful natural light, green gardens, fresh air and full blooms. But it has also generated a reputation for being ‘the’ best season to sell your home.

Be cautious, with more market activity comes – you guessed it – more supply. Buyers are spoilt for choice during spring and if you don’t want to be ‘just one of the pack’, you need to maximise opportunity by focusing on presentation – fresh flowers on the table, great outdoor entertaining and plenty of pops of colour.

Summer

Summer is considered a difficult time to sell, but with careful consideration of your open home timing, your home will sparkle. Take advantage of cool summer breezes if you’re on the water, with afternoon open homes. Later sunsets can make for stunning dusk photography and a warm, balmy evening can help draw attention to the benefits of ducted air conditioning.

A lot of sellers tend to avoid selling in summer due to two factors: the heat and holidays. But with fewer listings, buyers have less choice, resulting in increased competition for your home.

For simple summer styling, consider incorporating cool blues and greens into your décor. Avoid furry or fluffy cushions and heavy fabrics. Try placing a tray with bottles of San Pellegrino, lemon and wine tumblers on your outdoor table to invite buyers to imagine the outdoor living benefits your home might bring.

Autumn

Like spring, autumn tends to be a popular listing month. Early in autumn we see leaves drop from trees and their colours change, so the surroundings of your neighbourhood can work in your favour. With the cooler afternoons arriving, early morning opens will use the benefit of the mid-morning sun and hopefully avoid any afternoon showers.

Winter

Homes that see plenty of mid-morning sun are the ones that will make for a great sale in the winter time, so pull up the blinds and let in as much light and warmth as possible. Basically the key to winter styling is to take buyers minds off the cold. Warm lighting, mild heating, heavier and darker fabrics including furry textures are the way to go. A bottle of red wine, with some wine glasses and a simple flower arrangement is a great way to style the dining table during winter.

Truthfully, there’s no perfect time to sell, so don’t hold off. Each season has its charms so use them to your advantage and you’ll have a better shot at selling your property.

Thanks for reading!