Steve Hart: Top tips for winter sales

This may not be a surprise to many people, but plenty of estate agents say winter is a good time to go to market as there is less competition around. Photo / 123RF

Fewer homes sell in winter than during any other season according to statistics from real estate data firm Quotable Value.

This may not be a surprise to many people, but plenty of estate agents say winter is a good time to go to market as there is less competition around.

They may have a point, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve your chances of selling your home with a bit of smart thinking.

QV's experts have a few suggestions worth considering if you plan to sell during winter.

They recommend taking the season into account when staging a home for sale.

In winter this means enhancing the feeling of comfort, warmth and providing a sense of welcoming.

They suggest choosing light, neutral colours for rooms where possible, adding texture with throws, pillows and rugs.

Making the master bedroom luxurious is recommend. They suggest this is done by investing in new sheets, some plump Euro cushions and a luxury throw for the end of the bed. Little details such as this get noticed by buyers, they say.

And don't forget the laundry. Make sure yours is well organised and inviting. A great tip is to invest in dryer balls - a few drops of essential oil added before you turn on the dryer will have your laundry smelling fresh and inviting for open homes.

For colour in your room, place flowers on a windowsill or by the kitchen tap.

To help brighton up the outside, QV's experts say you should waterblast and sweep, treat any mildew or moss, make sure all outdoor lights are working and that the gardens is as neat and tidy as can be.

Population growth
Annual net migration in the year to June reached a new record high of 72,300, according to Stats NZ. Migrant arrivals were a record 131,400 and migrant departures were 59,100. Compared with the year ended June 2016, net migration rose by 3200.

Population statistics senior manager Peter Dolan says: "Over the past three years, annual net migration has been consistently hitting record levels due to an increasing number of non-New Zealand citizen arrivals."