The holiday season is a great time to sell

Summer is here, school is almost out and bonus cheques are on their way. And that means that home sellers have a golden opportunity over the next two months to showcase their homes and conclude a sale.

Indeed, the holiday season is an ideal time to list your home, because more people are likely to have time available to come and view it, often with their families in tow. And the more potential buyers you can attract, of course, the higher the likelihood of a sale at a favourable price.

Peak selling periods do differ in different areas, with weather as well as seasons playing a major role. However, late spring and early summer are prime listing seasons in many parts of SA simply because properties and gardens tend to look more attractive during those months. Most prospective buyers also prefer pleasant weather when viewing property.

In addition, there is usually a rush of buyers entering the market just before the end of the year, including people who have to relocate for work reasons and want to time the move for the beginning of the new academic year for their children.

And sellers should ideally have their houses on the market to capture that audience, especially because people who look for property during their own holidays are much more likely to be serious buyers. There is also likely to be less competition, because many other sellers will be away on their holidays.

It is also worth noting that selling a home for a good price is feasible in any market, provided that it is effectively and strategically marketed by an experienced, knowledgeable estate agent.

Consequently, sellers should always be more concerned about appointing the best agent than about trying to time their sale to coincide with the "perfect" market conditions. Whatever the economic circumstances are when they sell are likely to be the same as when they buy their next home, so they are not likely to gain much from waiting for interest rate to come down, for example, or prices to go up.