when to sell?

[HelBel65]

Hi folks. Not sure which is the right Board to post this, so here goes....

Anyone got any thoughts on a good time to sell a garden flat - in fact, is there such thing as a good time, or is that just folklore/agent bs/ completely irrelevant? I'm planning to sell mine and not sure if it matters that Spring has come and gone and now, with the best will in the world, anyone who makes me an offer won't be in before Autumn. OTOH it's big enough for a family and in a decent catchment area so I suppose that could come into play.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts/experiences of selling at different times of the year really. Pointless asking the agent, he just says do it yesterday!

Thanks!

[Tommy1000]

I would say now is a good time to sell, given what's happened to prices in South East London!

Depends also on where you're moving to I guess (if you need to sell to move), as you could sit tight in the hope that property prices continue to rise as fast as they are. This of course won't be such a good idea if you're upsizing in the same area.

Some think that we're in the middle of another property bubble that will burst so, if they're correct, now would be a good time to sell! Having bought this year, I hope that;s not the case, but worth considering.

In terms of more specifically which month / season etc, I'm not sure it will make much difference - there's still a shortage of property on the market...

[indiepanda]

I've sold in winter and summer, both times house went quickly, I think at least in part because I was quite realistic about pricing and didn't try to push to get a really high price.

Having said that, usual guidance is sell in spring or autumn as market slows down in summer and around Christmas/New Year.

Main thing is to show property at its best. It might be a cliche but untidy front gardens, peeling paint on front doors etc all starts to put people off before they even get in - wonder if there might be more significant less visible issues (damp / boiler about to pack up etc). If putting off sale for a while enables you to tidy up a bit (if needed) that might be worthwhile.

I've seen three houses go up for sale within 100 yards of mine in the last month or so and two are sporting "sold" signs at the moment and the other was for a while but is back on the market. The prices are much higher than I paid for mine two and a half years ago, even allowing for differences in spec (some have been extended / others not). Obviously don't know what price they went for yet, but will watch with interest as will be hoping to negotiate a better mortgage deal later in the year by arguing a reduced loan to value ratio.

[No-flies]

Hi HelBel, we are, in fact, agents (www.no-flies.co.uk) but will resist the temptation to tell you to sell yesterday! In reality there is generally no best time to sell. Obviously high summer and over the Christmas period can be a bit slow but things tend to pick up quite quickly thereafter. In general the local market is very good at the moment with nice, well priced properties going under offer quickly and quite often above the market price by going to sealed bids. For a garden flat you should try to get the maximum benefit from the outside space as part of the marketing so that suggests late spring through to autumn. If it is a lower ground floor flat then, again, those times of the year that offer the best natural light are also probably optimal. However, if current market conditions continue and your property is nice then I am sure you will sell quickly at any time of year. If we can be of any assistance to you when you do decide to sell then please give us a call. Good luck. No-Flies