If you’re worrying about whether October is a good time to sell, there’s no need to stress as the GW team is here to help with any burning questions or queries you may have, and we believe autumn is a good time of year for both sale and purchase activity in this ever-changing property market!
Reasons why the autumn season is a good time to sell property
1) Half term
Schools throughout the UK tend to have a week off from 25 October. Autumn half-term tends to be a less busy time for parents and families, without the stress of any major holidays such as Christmas or the various summer activities that need planning or getting in the way. As a result, this could pose the perfect opportunity to view houses together without hectic schedules getting in the way.
2) Halloween
The
spookiest time of the year occurs during the autumn season, with lots of parents out and about taking their kids trick or treating. This provides the
opportunity for
potential homebuyers to stumble across
‘for sale’ signs throughout the neighbourhood that they may not have noticed before. Make sure your sign is in a
prominent position and the front garden looks
neat and
tidy to
attract the eye of the passer-by!
3) A new home by Christmas
A
big selling point for
homebuyers is the possible
incentive that they may move into their new
home by Christmas, depending on when the
conveyancing process begins. If the
purchase process is
straightforward, there is potential for that to happen. The average
conveyancing process tends to take between
eight to 12 weeks, so should the
homebuyer miss the chance of moving in time for Christmas, they still have a
good chance of moving in time for the New Year.
4) Fewer properties to compete with
As discussed earlier, Spring and Summertime are deemed to be
busy times for the
property market, and whilst this may be an
advantage over the other seasons in the year,
selling in autumn brings its own
advantages as there could be fewer
properties on the market to compete with, meaning you’re more likely to get
higher interest in your
property. Make sure your photos you decide to use when
showcasing the
property are on point to help make it
stand out and get recognised!
Tips for selling properties in autumn
House viewings
The nights are starting to get darker earlier in the evening, the more we get into the autumn season. That’s why it might be worth considering hosting house viewings early or over the weekend as it gives you
opportunity to host viewings early in the morning and afternoon. Same goes for the photos of your
home listed too – try taking photos either in the morning or late afternoon around sunset to see which turns out
best. Avoid using the flash on your camera, as this could potentially make photos look
tacky and
artificial. You want to try and make the photos
warm and
welcoming to
homebuyers.
Make your home look season appropriate
Things such as BBQ equipment, sun loungers, deck chairs and blow-up swimming pools aren’t a
great or
appealing look in October. Be sure that your
house looks season-appropriate to
help create the appearance of being
well-kept all year round.
Clear fallen leaves
It’s
incredibly important that you
maintain your garden (both front and back!) if you’re looking to
sell up. Even if it’s something as
simple as raking the leaves up, to mowing the lawn, it all
helps. Also, it’s worth double checking the gutters and drains to ensure no leaves are cluttering up and blocking, which could potentially cause
problems for you both in the short-term (in terms of potential
sale) and long-term, should you keep hold of the
property.
List the standout property features
Make a list of features that your
property has which you both
love and believe will
help it
stand out during the autumn season, such as the lighting throughout during the dark nights, any
stunning views you can get from different rooms and how friendly the neighbourhood is for families. Be sure to convey this to those who come to view the
house or have the estate agents provide the information if they’re acting on your behalf. The ‘little things’ that may
mean a lot to you, could end up making a
whole world of difference in helping
secure a sale down the line.
