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SELLERS AND BUYERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE MID-WINTER SEASON
Most Cape estate agencies accept that in mid-winter their sales turnovers will drop by anything up to 50%, says Anton du Plessis, Chief Executive of Vineyard Estates – and this year, he adds, the slowdown could be exacerbated by the two-month holiday atmosphere that the World Cup is likely to engender.
Despite this, says du Plessis, those contemplating selling or buying a home right now should not wait for spring – as many people are inclined to do.
“Our experience,” says du Plessis, “shows that the buyers out there in winter are generally a lot more serious and often a great deal more decisive than those who flit from show house to show house throughout the summer – often without coming to any decision at all.
“Winter buyers know, too, that they are up against less buying competition and that this situation could change when summer comes.”
By the same token, says du Plessis, people selling homes in winter can take comfort from the fact that most of the buyers are in earnest and, as there is far less stock on the market at that time of year, their chances of achieving a sale are, in fact, just as good as in the summer.
“It has been said before but it is worth saying again,” says du Plessis, “that the really good agencies tend to ride out the so-called mid-winter slump far better than the fly-by-nights and the less reputable operators. My advice to anybody contemplating entering the housing market at this time of year is to take the bull by the horns and not allow themselves to be deterred by the fallacy that mid-winter sales are few and far between.”