I don’t know whether its just adjusting to newborn sleep patterns, but it feels like I blinked and we are suddenly practically in September.
Aside from the return of Spring, this is also the time of year that we start to see an acceleration in the market as buyers and sellers look to the end of the year and start planning ahead. This could be in anticipation of starting school or a new job in 2023, or even just taking advantage of the Christmas break for settling in to a new home.
For those wanting things wrapped up neatly by December, a September (or October launch) is ideal, allowing for several weeks on market, a contract period of between 30 and 60 days depending on conditions and then settlement and the big move.
While you CAN list a property for sale overnight (and frankly, still obtain a successful result amongst minimal competition), the best results are achieved through planning and preparation, so putting the time in early will more often than not yield a higher price, in a shorter timeframe – both big ticks for an owner.
Tradies aren’t slowing down by any stretch, so if your home is in anything less than perfect condition and you were planning on some tidy ups in readiness to launch, then the best time to book them was probably a month ago. Failing that, then right now is the next best option to make sure that they (and any materials) are readily available. For those with time up their sleeves, getting multiple quotes on pricing ahead of time can mean real savings though if working to a tight deadline you might need to rely on referrals and reviews as wait times just for a quote can easily be several weeks in the current market.
Once presentation (and performance – everything should be working) is in order, then you will want to make sure that potential buyers can actually see your hard work – with the right photography and video to showcase the property to its best effect. Talk to your agent about the right number of shots to budget for, and where appropriate (and within CASA limits) look at whether drone photography can add a special boost – particularly for larger allotments or showing the property’s proximity to shopping/city/ parks etc.
Demand remains high across most market segments, and timeliness continues to be well rewarded so if 2022 is your year to make a move – make it soon!
Tom Quaid is the REIQ Zone Chair for Cairns