The surprising benefits of a winter home sale

Conventional wisdom says the best time to sell your home is spring, but there are plenty of good reasons to sell Neutral Bay real estate in winter. Here are a few points to get you thinking:

Many properties actually look their best in the cooler months.

If you have a home surrounded by deciduous plants, autumn’s brightly coloured leaves can be enticing. North-facing homes, in particular, look inviting in winter light. Houses with fireplaces can also look wonderful – potential buyers will be charmed when they walk into a warm and cosy room with a flickering fire.

A warm house can appeal more in winter.

If you have a well-insulated and energy-efficient place, selling it in winter can help to highlight those attributes. Many buyers these days prioritise power efficiency, if only to reduce their power bills, and having decent thermal efficiency will be an even more powerful selling point in the colder months.

Winter filters out the non-serious buyers.

Buyer numbers tend to drop in the winter, particularly around the school holidays, but that means that the people who are looking will be serious. You can expect motivated buyers who have pre-approval and want to make a serious offer in winter.

There’s less competition.

Because so many sellers follow the conventional wisdom of selling in spring, your house won’t be up against so many others. This increases your chances of selling quickly and achieving your desired sale price.

You’ll benefit from more time with your agent.

Fewer homes on the market in the winter will give your agent more time to focus on you. All good agents will do everything in their power to get you the best price, but the more time they have for you, the better. With that being said, we always make time for every client, no matter what time of year.

Easier financial processing.

It isn’t only your agent who will have more time for you. Banks have less of a load when it comes to processing home loans and settlements, which means the whole financial process can be swifter in the winter months.

If you have to sell, you have to sell.

Sometimes, it’s simply time to sell. Don’t stress that it’s not the right season; let your agent worry about that. Think about the fact that there will be people who need to buy right now, just as you have to sell. Your needs are more important than market trends.

You can get ahead for your next purchase.

Most people who are selling will also be buying. If you can settle your home in the winter, you will be ready to hit the spring market ahead of the competition. This gives you the chance to get your finances in order and get that precious pre-approval in place ahead of house hunting in the spring.

Sydney weather is on your side.

Traditional wisdom says you shouldn’t sell in winter to avoid rainy weather. However, while June is Sydney’s wettest month statistically, October and November tend to have more rainfall than July and August. Temperatures may be low but you’re likely to have clear blue skies, which make a home look more appealing.

The end of the financial year sees some buyers with more in their wallets.

If you are selling to an investor, June can be the perfect month as these buyers are often trying to offload funds before the end of the financial year.

Want to sell your Neutral Bay home this winter? Talk to a real estate agent who is a perennial favourite with local homeowners.