April is always a quieter month in real estate and this year was no different. Juggling school holidays, Easter and Anzac Day long weekends meant we only saw 20 working days in Australia. These factors have possibly contributed to the drop in new listings coming to market, with the nation’s focus being pulled to other priorities. Overall we’re sitting at approximately 17 per cent fewer new listings compared to the same period last year. Buyers are expressing a frustration around availability of suitable properties; this could create a fantastic opportunity for anyone thinking of coming to market in the current climate.
Some people feel winter is not the ideal time to place your property on the market, however the cooler months allow the opportunity to showcase some of your home’s features that you may not have considered. Here are some tips for you to make your home feel welcoming if you are selling during the cooler months.
Ensure all of your light fittings are clean and in good working order. Especially with mid-week twilight open inspections, having your home brightly lit will showcase the interior features as buyers make their way into the property.
Heating should be on and fireplaces lit. Showing how cosy your property is at a cooler time of the year, can really make a house feel like a home. Let the sunshine in. Especially if you have north facing windows, open up the curtains and blinds and let the warming winter sun show your property’s year-round versatility.
Do you have an outdoor heater or fire pit? Get those stoked up and highlight the adaptability of your outdoor spaces in both warm and cool seasons. The way to the heart is through the stomach. Having cookies or bread baking in the home as buyers pass through can make the experience even more enticing. If you’re not a native cook, you can buy the frozen variety, it will do the job just as well.
Wet outdoor areas can create havoc as people transition from outdoor to indoor spaces. Make sure you have new, clean doormats, both indoors and out. You can consider asking people to remove their shoes as they move from outdoors to indoors to keep your floors clean and tidy. Seasonality aside, the persistent shortage of new housing, rental properties and increased migration are putting significant demand on the second-hand housing market. Buyers don’t choose to buy because the daffodils are in bloom, they’re driven by factors much more meaningful than that. There is high demand and low supply; now could be a fantastic time to sell your property.