Spring is traditionally the busiest time in real estate, but does that mean it's the best time to buy or sell your property? Mark Earle gives us the lowdown...

The seasonal cycle of the property market has been well researched and documented. Historically, Spring is the busiest season for the real estate business: as we exit the doom and gloom of the dreary winter months, the warm weather and Spring air gives us a new lease and perspective on life, with the possibility of a fresh start.

 ‘Real estate—and particularly Melbourne real estate—has always been pretty famous for it’s Spring activity. Certainly in the mindsets of just about every vendor, if they were to weigh up when the best time to sell would be, most would pick Spring because of their perception of activity with buyers, and also how things look in terms of gardens and so forth’, says Buxton Director and Chairman, Mark Earle.

 ‘Bayside, more particularly being a beach side area, really does highlight being by the water and so forth. But across the board with how gardens look, people’s attitudes and also more supply, Spring tends to bring about more activity.’

 Often it is simply this mentality that influences the Spring market, driving vendors to put their properties up for sale in the hope that more buyers will be out and about and ‘in the market’ and conversely, buyers are expecting there to be more supply. But given the supply and demand is higher in the Spring, is it really the best time to be in the market?

 ‘The best time to buy is when you find a home that’s suitable. It’s a matter of being constantly aware of what’s going on in the market, therefore, you’ve got the opportunity to make sure you can buy what you want to buy, and you’re obviously researched enough to understand [market] values,’ according to Mark.

 ‘From a seller’s point of view, it comes down to what your next move is. If it’s dependent on when you find the next right home, then obviously it’s going to be governed by when that property comes onto the market to purchase.

 ‘Those factors are going to be based on your own personal circumstance, as opposed to seasonal, so I don’t really attach the sell and buy to seasons.’.