In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move – Henry Rollins
You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming – Pablo Neruda
Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” – Robin Williams
Every year the clouds abate. Drizzle clears. The sun shines and and there is a frenzy of buying activity. The data supports this. The sell through rate peaks for the year around October. By summer time (December) this frenetic buying is over and Christmas pudding and Australia’s inability to win cricket games takes priority.
September is the crescendo of football finals and sitting on the couch screaming at a TV lets us all avoid the practicalities of life. Real world problems like, “where will my family live next year, when (insert child’s name) is at the new school?”. Invariably the week after finals, reality sets in and the house hunting starts in earnest. The necessary timelines are calculated and it is “decided” that New Year’s should be celebrated in the new house.
And these timelines are now set. A house must be found.
With Perth stock levels the lowest they have been in two years. Good homes are selling well. It seems counter to the popular belief that residential real estate is somehow back pedaling. Most homes have dropped some value over the last three years. But well located homes, that are well presented, that meet an unrequited demand in a market place still sell well. In our market 3 / 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom family homes with some land value and original older houses on big blocks are the current holy grail.
And over the next three months this will become even more true.
As listing levels climb around the country, Perth is the stand out exception to the rule. Great news for firming house prices as supply constricts.
As a seller the temptation is to put off selling. Lets face it. Its a pain in the backside. A list of odd jobs and household repairs you’ve been putting off for years that suddenly have to be completed in a week. Having to keep a house looking like a pinterest home-design post. Another buyer inspection at 5.45pm just when the kids need to eat and you need to drink wine. It sucks. But waiting till after Christmas to sell could suck more.
Those Buyers are getting ready. That don’t even know they are doing it. But you do. And you’ve got time to act.
The Spring Market is real.
Derek Baston
M: 0417 99 23 24
E: derek@bastonandco.com
