Should You Sell During The School Holidays?

Short answer: Actually… yes.

Every term break, sellers clutch their diaries and declare that launching during school holidays is property suicide. “Everyone’s in Europe.” “Everyone’s skiing.” “Everyone’s at Rotto.”

Everyone? Really?

Yes, plenty of families disappear for a week or two. But the idea that the suburbs empty out like a ghost town is a myth. Buyers don’t press pause on real estate just because the school bell has stopped ringing. They are still watching, still searching and still ready to move when the right property appears.

 

Myth: “Buyers vanish during holidays.”

They don’t.
They just check listings from nicer locations.

Buyers scroll the home opens while waiting for their Negroni to arrive in Positano or between beach swims at Bunker Bay. And when they see something good, they act fast.

And many stay in Perth anyway. Not everyone takes a holiday every school break. Businesses keep running, families stay local, and people who are actively looking for a home do not put their search on hold.

 

Myth: “There’s no momentum over holidays.”

Momentum has nothing to do with the school calendar.
It comes from competition.
And competition comes from good marketing.

If your home is styled properly, photographed well and launched with intent, buyers will show up whether it is Week 1 of term or mid-July holidays.

 

Myth: “Buyers are too distracted to commit.”

If anything, holidays sharpen the mind.
A week away in a cramped hotel room with teenagers is enough to make anyone dream of a larger kitchen, a pool, or a separate wing they can hide in. Holiday-mode decisions are often the most decisive.

 

The real advantage: other sellers go quiet

Here lies the secret.
While anxious sellers delay their campaign, your home suddenly becomes the star of the show. Less competition means more attention. More attention means more offers. More offers means a premium price.

This is how savvy sellers make serious money.

 

But only if the marketing is done properly

Selling during the school holidays works brilliantly, but it is not a free pass.
Buyers expect excellence. They have high standards and sharp eyes.

So your campaign must be exceptional.
Beautiful styling.
Immaculate photography.
A teaser campaign that builds buzz.
A launch that feels intentional, not accidental.

If your campaign is flat, holidays will not save it.

 

The takeaway

School holidays are not a dead zone. They are a strategic window hiding in plain sight.
While other sellers are waiting for “the right week,” the right week is the one where your competition is asleep.

Buyers don’t stop buying because the kids are off school. They still buy, they still watch and they still pounce.

Sometimes they just make the offer from a sunbed in Sardinia or a ski slope in Japan.

 

Want more real estate tales from the wild west (of Perth)?
You can catch more of my columns in Western Suburbs Weekly, every Thursday,
or head to our blog and socials for fresh takes, tips, and stories from the front lines of real estate.

— Paulette Contessi, CEO & Founder Contessi Properties
0438 908 264
paulette@contessi.com.au