While springtime is typically the most popular time to sell, Jo Millington and Stuart Myerscough decided selling in winter would help their home stand out among the crowd.
“We wanted to hit the market before the spring market rush,” Ms Millington said, and added winter doesn’t always mean poor weather in Queensland.
“We certainly weren’t hoping to avoid winter … the sun is shining, the birds are singing; there’s no drastic change in people’s behaviours.”
Jo Millington and Stuart Myerscough felt Queensland’s winter weather would barely make a dent in their auction campaign. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail
The couple had lived in their Coorparoo house for seven years, having raised their three children there.
Now, the two have been looking to downsize, getting ready for their older children to move out of their family home.
“The kids are growing up,” Ms Millington said.
“Our son’s left home, our middle child’s in year 12, and the house is built for large families. “So we felt it was probably time to try something else, so we could get used to it and it wouldn’t be such a big change when the kids left home.”
420 Upper Cornwall St, Coorparoo, the home going to auction on July 5. New research found winter to be the season where the most suburbs had the cheapest deals for home buyers.
The campaign for the home at 420 Upper Cornwall St has taken the family through June and July, where homes are most often at their cheapest across Queensland suburbs.
New Ray White data has found the winter season to have the most suburbs selling houses at their lowest prices, with 718 suburbs across the state showing winter months were the cheapest times to buy.
This beat out summer, with 524 recorded suburbs showing their cheapest deals, spring with 486 suburbs, and autumn with 357 suburbs.
This was taken by assessing the state’s 2085 best-selling suburbs over a ten-year period.
Ms Millington and Mr Myerscough wanted to sell before spring, so their home stood out more among the available options. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail
But Place Camp Hill agent Shane Hicks said while market habits may still be present since the Covid pandemic, seasonality has become a lot less important for buyers.
“In my opinion, since Covid seasonality for buyers has gone out the window,” he said. “They are here all the time; that’s both local and interstate.”
Ms Millington said she could see seasonal weather affecting some of the southern states more, but in Queensland it was “much of a muchness”.
“I feel like any challenges we’ve had haven’t had anything to do with the season,” she said. “I truly believe in Queensland, seasonality is irrelevant.”
Place Camp Hill agent Shane Hicks said seasonal buying was drastically changed by Covid.
“Buyers are still out there looking, but there are fewer homes on the market,” Mr Hicks said. “So if the buyer really needs to buy, it’s a great opportunity for a seller to achieve a sale.”
Mr Hicks said he was still receiving a lot of activity from registered bidders and buyers agents: particularly representing interstate buyers, preparing for a move to Queensland before the next school year.
“If they’re moving, they’re really shopping now,” he said.
English (US) · 