Plan for delays when selling house

GET in early. We’ve been saying it about buying, we’ve definitely been saying it about renting, and now it’s equally applicable to those looking to sell – albeit for different reasons.

Between an early cyclone (that thankfully has brought us a bucket of rain but not much more) and the unpredictability of Omicron, this is shaping up as a year for everyone to be thinking well ahead when it comes to the important things – and there are few things as important as the sale of your home.

Technology is very forgiving, and in a pinch yes, you could photograph your home on your phone, do some quick digital decluttering and upload to portals like realestate.com.au within an hour, but if there is anything we have learnt from 2021, it’s that those who don’t maximise on presentation end up leaving money on the table (though they most likely will still sell).

Planning for success in this market means putting in the efforts that continue to pay off: the garden work, decluttering, repainting, the touch-ups and even staging, where appropriate.

In an environment in which the pieces of the puzzle (photographers, gardeners, removalists etc.) can potentially be out of the picture for a week at the drop of a hat, well ... it means getting things organised that much earlier to allow for the unforeseen (which is quickly becoming the anticipated).

For those keen to get on the market this month, you really want to be talking to your agent now, if you haven’t already engaged someone, in order to make sure you are booked in with contractors well in advance.

Weather not playing nice? Take the opportunity then to instead focus on the inside, even if means tackling the dreaded garage. Not a task for the faint of heart, that one – I don’t think I have had both cars in my garage since I moved in.

Looking instead to the more traditional March or April kick-off? Again, it wouldn’t hurt to plan now, or even start scheduling a regular tip run or charity shop drop-off.

Depending on your plans, you might not need to wait that long for a sale this year. With the local market already off to a strong start, there may well be plenty of opportunities earlier in the year. Nothing says “I love you” like a new home for Valentine’s

Day, right?

Tom Quaid is the REIQ Zone Chair for Cairns