All this wind and rain is a reminder that we are heading towards a Winter property market. So what does that mean for buyers who are considering buying on a winter market?
In a winter market there certainly are a lot less active buyers in the market and that’s a good thing for you, if you are seriously considering buying a home. Winter buyers have the advantage of less traffic through open homes which means less competition & a better chance to to ask agents more questions and better questions about the property, and market in general. A good tip from me – in addition to the ones I made in my Open Homes Article:
- Start forming a working relationship with an agent you trust.
Why?
Sure you can find suitable properties on the web in a few clicks but what about the property that’s coming to market in a few weeks, but in the meantime agents who know it’s coming to the market, will be showing their prospective buyer through. Do you want to know about a property before someone else does? Absolutely! So when you are out on your open homes take the opportunity to check out the agents as well as the houses.
When you find an agent you trust;
1) Ask them to keep you informed of what’s coming on the market.
2) Stay top of mind for them. Make a time to ring them at the same time each week, and ask them what they have seen.
3) Give them good information about what you looking for:
- Number of bedrooms you are looking for
- Suburbs
- Price range you are looking in
- The top 3 things the house must have, that you want/need. E.g. double garaging, 2 bathrooms etc
In summary, it is a good time to buy during the winter market. Just be aware that fewer properties are available over the winter period. So you have some accurate information on the supply of listings during winter, nationally the average number of houses sold in the month of June over the last 3 years was 4973 (source realestate.co.nz). There are still plenty of opportunities to find the right home, for those that are actively looking. Happy hunting!