Selling Your Home in Times of Uncertainty, What It Means for You
Selling the house you live in comes with a lot more than just numbers.
There’s emotion tied to it. It’s your home base, where you’ve built routines, memories, and family life.
So when you layer in uncertainty around the market or what’s happening in the world, it can make the decision feel even heavier.
A lot of the time, it comes down to timing.
When you’re ready to move, and when you’re actually in a position to move.
Buying and Selling in the Same Market
One thing I talk through a lot with clients is this.
If you are buying and selling in the same market, it generally balances itself out.
Using Geelong as an example, most suburbs are relatively close to each other in terms of value movement.
So if the property you are selling drops in price, the property you are looking to buy is likely to have moved in a similar way as well.
Because of that, it doesn’t usually have a major impact on your overall position.
The Risk of Selling and Renting
Where things can become a bit more uncertain is when people decide to sell and then rent for a period of time.
The idea is often to wait and see what the market does.
This can work, but it comes with risk.
If confidence returns and more buyers come back into the market, prices can move up quickly.
That can leave you behind, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars, while you’re sitting on the sidelines.
On the flip side, if the uncertainty continues and prices fall further, you could be in a strong position with cash ready to go and buy at a lower price.
But that’s the key point, it’s a risk either way.
Having a Plan Matters
Buying and selling in the same market is generally the more straightforward approach.
But the process still needs planning.
If you decide to sell first so you can understand exactly how much you have to work with, you need to think about what comes next.
Is there enough stock on the market that suits what you’re looking for?
Or are you chasing something quite specific?
If it’s the latter, you might find it difficult to secure the right property after you’ve sold, especially if something you liked has already been snapped up.
Doing Your Due Diligence
This is where I think people need to slow down and really get a feel for the market.
Not just online, but physically getting out to open homes.
Properties can look completely different in person compared to photos.
What you thought was perfect online might not suit at all once you walk through it.
And on the flip side, something you didn’t consider could end up being the right fit.
The Cost of Moving Too Often
One thing that often gets overlooked is how expensive it is to move multiple times.
Stamp duty alone adds up quickly.
Every time you buy, you’re paying a significant cost, and over time that can have a big impact on your overall position.
It’s not just about selling and buying; it’s about understanding the long-term cost of those decisions.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, selling in a time of uncertainty isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
But it does mean you need to be clear on your plan.
Understand your timing.
Understand the risks.
And understand what the next step looks like before you make the move.
If you’re thinking about selling, or just want to talk through how this would look for your situation, happy to run through it with you.
Just a proper conversation around your options and what makes sense.
