real life

Changing job? Having a baby? Moving home? There's a 'right time' for each big life change.

This year, I attempted the impossible.

I found a new house, interstate, over the Christmas/New Year period.

“Oh man, this is literally the worst time to be doing that,” sighed my friends. “It’s going to be a nightmare.”

But you know what? It wasn’t. I mean, there were all the usual annoyances that go with the process – application forms, photocopying ID, finding a friend to lie about my shocking rental history – but on the whole, it wasn’t bad at all. Certainly not the horror ordeal that I expected.

It got me thinking. When it comes to finding a house, or a job, or booking a holiday; we always seem to hang out for the ‘right time’ to tackle a project.

Maybe it’s the end of the year, or the busy season, or EOFY – but there does seem to be a silent rulebook of when, and when not, to embark on major changes. And I have a hunch it might just be a load of BS.

But don’t listen to me – here’s what the experts have to say.

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“The right time to find a new rental property is….”

Despite my good luck at finding a great house over Christmas, it would seem I might be the exception to the rule.

Park Trent Property Group say that the start of the year is a busy time for people snapping up rental properties.

“With the new year comes a new start for tenants on the move,” they write.

“Kids are on school holidays, and the Christmas break provides families with an opportunity to pack and move house. It’s a time of year when people can take an extended period off work to move and get settled before the start of the school and work years.”

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Sophie Walsh from Finder.com.au says that the second peak period is during the middle of the year.

“Six month leases signed in January will now have expired,” she says. “On top of this, a new university semester begins, meaning a wave of graduates looking to relocate for work, or new students wishing to relocate for study.”

High demand leads to high competition and prices – so if you’re going to rent it’s best to try and find a property outside of these peak periods; autumn and spring are your best bets.

So, turns out that there IS a good time in the year to find a rental property.

"The right time to look for a new job is...."

Unsurprisingly, companies tend to clock off from hiring decisions around the major holidays - think Easter, Christmas, and mid-year. So if you're waiting to look for a new job, aim at just before, or immediately after these periods.

Nicolle Stuart is an HR Advisor, and recommends looking to the new year when applying for roles.

"In terms of supply and demand I find that people usually start resigning mid January to early February," says Stuart.

"They've started to get tired toward the end of the year and 'wait it out' to the New Year. Once they have had a break and are feeling refreshed, they generally realise the role still isn't right for them and want to make a change."

January aside, Stuart says that July is another boom time for roles becoming available.

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"July is also good time - most companies work off a financial year, so projects, KPI's, and other goals are usually are completed in June. This is a good period for people to feel they can start looking for further opportunities."

"My worst quality is that I'm a perfectionist. Oh, and that I steal people's lunches from the work fridge."

"The right time to buy a car is...."

Malcolm Flynn from Cars Guide says that it pays to know the car sale cycles.

"There's no single right time to buy a car," says Flynn, "but there are a few opportunities each year to take advantage of savings on new cars."

The beginning of each calendar year is when you can expect the best discounts, but opting for a car with older plates will affect your resale value in the future. Flynn also notes that March (Japanese EOFY) and June (Australian EOFY) are good months for discounts.

If you're looking at a second-hand vehicle, Flynn has a pretty specific set of figures for when a car is at peak value.

"If you're looking at a near new car, around 18 months old and under 50,000km is where they've already taken a big depreciation hit," he says, "but still retain a good chunk of manufacturers warranty to protect you for some time."

Video by mamamia

 

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"The right time to book a holiday overseas is...."

To book the perfect holiday, you need to have a few ducks lined up: plenty of savings, time off from work, and affordable flights and accommodation planned.

Sophie Walsh from Finder.com.au says that the perfect time to book your next holiday is well in advance. Like, WELL in advance.

"The right time to book a holiday is really dependent on how flexible you are," says Walsh. "If you already have set dates it is best to book early - in fact, 17 weeks in advance is the ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to finding the best international deals."

And if you can't think that far ahead (*guilty*) you can still get great deals at the last minute.

"If you don’t have set dates you can reap the rewards by waiting for deals and striking while the iron’s hot," says Walsh.

"If you really want to save money book your flights Wednesday at 1am of the home country of the airline - this is the time when travel agents release their unsold tickets. For further savings, fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday; these are typically the cheapest days to travel."

The best time to book an overseas trip is 17 weeks in advance. Yes, we're serious.

 

"The right time to start a family is..."

For most, the traditional answer to this question is, 'when I am financially stable'.

And it's not far from the truth - Sophie Walsh from Finder.com.au says that for many young Australians, the 'right time' to start a family is being put off until they are out of debt.

"Over 900,000 adult - or five per cent of those surveyed - admitted they would have to hold off having a child to pay back their holiday debts," says Sophie.

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"As well as that, more than one in 10 people (11 per cent) who use their credit card on holiday are holding off buying a house, and five per cent are delaying marriage because of financial pressures."

 

There's no right or wrong time to have a baby (or two!), but are there a few things to check off before taking the plunge?

 

"The right time to study is...."

There is no right or wrong time that will apply to all people. Everyone's journey into study is different. But Nicolle Stuart gives some sound advice on taking your time to 'measure twice, cut once' when it comes to tertiary study.

"I find Tafe to be a really practical and underrated option," says Stuart.

"I would almost say unless someone is really sure they want to go down a certain path, don't discount going to Tafe first and completing a Certificate IV or Diploma, and then if it's really what you want to do - transfer to University."

With university fees often setting students back around $30,000 for an undergraduate degree, it's a choice you want to be very sure about. And if it takes a few years after school - or maybe more - then it's worth the wait.

 

 

Find the right time to do something comes down to checking in with your own personal situation, and consulting the experts.

Take the time to collect all the relevant information and don't rush - despite what the salespeople might say, your options will still be there tomorrow.