CityLiving: Is summer a better time to sell? Edel Morgan investigates

Putting your home on the market out of the property season - in July and August - can be a risky strategy but one that can pay off.

In those months you may not have to bother with tired tricks - like baking bread or brewing fresh coffee - to lure potential buyers because you may well have a far more persuasive force on your side - the sun.

If the sun comes out when you are showing your property, it can be more effective than a whole swat team of estate agents. So how come more people don't sell their homes during the summer when potential buyers can see them at their best? After all, without the sun, a south-facing garden is pretty much like any other garden and it's hard to appreciate a rose garden with no roses in bloom.

If computer-aided techniques are used to superimpose blue skies and Bahamian sunshine on brochures, would it not make sense to encourage people to show properties when they can be naturally seen to their best effect?

Tradition is a big factor. The property industry winds down in July and August and auctioneers often encourage their staff to take holidays during this period, so they are around for the busy season. But the renegades who decide to sell during the summer may have some competitive advantage.

"There are some benefits," says Iris Keating of HOK Residential, "kitchens and extensions can look at their very best with the sun streaming in and gardens can also look great in the sun. We are increasingly noticing year-on-year that properties under €635,000 still sell well over the summer months. With the advent of property websites, people can still advertise property during the summer."

Auctioneer Gerry Leahy of Leahy Property Consultants agrees that, for pure visual impact, you cannot beat the sun. "The garden comes into bloom and people feel good when the weather is good. If it's a suburban property that's on the market there's less traffic when the schools are closed, so it's easier to get to a 4pm or 5pm viewing."

However, even the sun has its limitations. It only works it's magic under the right conditions. "Only some properties will benefit from a summer viewing." says Gerry Leahy. "If it has sea views, a rose garden or horses running around in a paddock, then it's probably a good time."

More people are selling their homes in the summer than a decade ago and he believes it will become even more prevalent.

"With different work practices, like shift work and people working from home and changing holiday patterns with people going away not just in summer but at other times of the year, it is likely to ecome more usual. But tradition is a great player and the industry perpetuates this. This has lessened but it is slower in the summer."

Unlike peak selling season where there is always a bigger, better house on the market down the road, in the summer you could be the only one with a "For Sale" sign up for miles.

"If you don't want to compete with other, more high profile, properties it could be a good time, provided you don't have a commitment to sell within a month," says Leahy. "You can really show off the property by putting a deck chair or some garden furniture on the patio, but it's a risky game, particularly if you need to sell quickly."

The new homes market virtually grinds to a halt during late July and August with the builders' holiday starting in late July and the auctioneers' holiday in August. Ross McParland of Sherry FitzGerald New Homes says that mainly developments with holiday home potential are marketed during this time.

The downside of selling in the summer is that there are less buyers around. The attitude when the weather is good is "let's go to Brittas Bay and think about buying houses another day", says Leahy. The unpredictability of the Irish weather is another factor, says Iris Keating. "You get a good Saturday, and people who are due to go to a viewing will decide to go to the beach instead and go to the viewing the next week when the weather probably won't be that good. So we often advise if people can hold off selling until the season picks up, they should probably do so."

And with estate agents encouraged to take holidays in July and August, you might not be able to rely on continuity of service from a particular agent throughout the sales campaign. There are also situations when the sun's illumination can be a definite drawback. If a house is in dire need of a coat of paint, covered in dust or has dirty windows, showing by candle light in darkest November might be best.