If you are in the process of deciding to put your Perth property on the market, you will no doubt be wondering what the rapidly changing landscape in interest rates and inflation means for your home sale. Here are some of the more common questions we get around this. Please get in touch if you have more.
Can I sell my house now for a good price?
Yes, right now there is still very strong demand locally, together with interest from interstate investors, so the Perth market is still in what we call a “seller’s market”. It is important to keep in your mind though, if you are buying and selling at the same time, then both transactions will be affected by the same market conditions.
Strong negotiation skills with the sale of your home are what can ensure that you get the best possible result in the market at the time. So as long as you are selecting an experienced real estate agent who has navigated full property cycles, you should still be able to achieve the best price possible for your property.
Is now a good time to prepare my home for sale?
Absolutely. Getting prepared for sale can be a surprisingly lengthy process, from decluttering and donating to cleaning, repainting and carrying out minor renovations. Even if you aren’t quite ready to sell yet, the earlier you start, the easier it will be for you when the time comes.
Make a list of what work needs to be done and if you can do it yourself or if you’ll need to have it done professionally. Start going through your belongings and sort out what you want to keep and what you will get rid of. Once you have decided to sell, you can put your plan into place.
By preparing thoroughly for your home sale, you can look forward to a smoother, less stressful selling period and ultimately a better result.
Should I style my home?
Most people these days start their property buying journey online, so firstly your home needs to stand out in the online listing and great pictures are a key element of this. The better your property looks in the photographs the more chance that a buyer will make an emotional connection with it and come along to an inspection. If your property needs a bit of a lift to make it present in its best light, then having a professional stylist can make a huge difference to how it presents.
By strategically selecting the items in your home and where they are placed, you can show it off in the best possible light, make it feel more spacious and illustrate to the buyers what their life could feel like if they lived there. With styling and professional real estate photography, you can add thousands to the value of your home. 
How do buyers inspect a property?
It is important to present your property online to engage a buyer to want to come through for a physical viewing. Buyers generally initially will inspect your property in the online listing. It’s for this reason that we need excellent photography that highlights the home’s best features. A floor plan and a 3D Tour also greatly assist with providing access for buyers to get to know your home online first. After seeing your property presented in it’s best light online, the buyer will then decide if its suitable to them and arrange a physical viewing.
This is done by engaging with the agent, who will then arrange for them to inspect either by a home open, or a private inspection. This is where the buyer has the opportunity to view all features of the home and ask any questions they may have about it.
Should I sell my home by auction?
Whilst auctions are a common occurrence in the eastern states, they have not had the same take up here in Perth. They are more prevalent when it comes to mortgagee sales or deceased estates in Perth, where it can be perceived a more transparent form of sale as the price achieved for the property is what the market has decided is a fair price at a public auction. However as can happen with auctions, the property doesn’t sell on auction day and will then revert to a private treaty sale.
There is another emerging method of sale in Perth known as an online auction. There can be many benefits to this type of sale, and whilst not all agents are familiar with it, the Brett White Team has had amazing results with this method with certain properties, so is an option offered based on a number of factors.
The more common method of sale in Perth is by far private treaty. This is where there is an offer made by a buyer, and then if the offer is suitable to the seller it is then accepted by them, and the document known as the Offer & Acceptance forms the legal contract between all parties. It is important to note that there is no cooling off period here in Western Australia with a private treaty sale, which can be quite different to what occurs in other states.
Is buyer activity and interest still strong?
Yes. People will always need to put their homes on the market and, with interest rates still relatively low, it’s also a great time to buy. We continue to see a high volume of sales turnover in Perth, and strong numbers of buyers through home opens and putting offers in, so the market is still very active.
There are many reasons why people need to move homes. These include separation, divorce, to be closer to family or for work reasons. Some might be looking for a sea or tree change, be downsizing to save money or be moving for work or study. So as you can see, there remain plenty of reasons behind people continuing to buy and sell property.
Can we help with your property sale?
With over 20 years of local knowledge, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the real estate market. We’re here to help.
