Traditionally the summer has been thought of as the best time to sell a house. But we believe the Christmas period presents an ideal opportunity to put your home on the market.
There are many benefits to selling at this time of the year. As the holiday season approaches, fewer people are thinking about selling so an estate agent is less busy. It therefore means they have plenty of time to devote to those who really want to sell.
And although other professionals in the sector may be taking some time off, it won’t be as long a period as say a summer holiday. So, as long as you have all your paperwork ready, there should be no delay.
Show your home off
The daylight hours may be fewer than in the summer, but Christmas is all about twinkly lights, decorations, mince pies in the oven, the smell of pinecones and roaring fires. It therefore represents the perfect time to show off your home to be the cosy place it is. So, to stage your home to look its absolute best, decorate the tree, add some lights both inside and out, add some soft furnishings to the sitting room and create that warm Christmassy glow. Remember less is more when it comes to decorations – you want to show off your exquisite taste.
Stand out from the crowd
Just because Christmas isn’t the traditional time of year to put your house on the market, doesn’t mean it’s the wrong time. There will be fewer properties going on the market, which means less competition, which means more chance your home will get noticed. Our advice is to get onto your agent now and get the ball rolling. Besides if you wait til after the festive period, more people will be thinking about it and there will be more competition.
Boards at the ready
As the nights draw in and there are fewer daylight hours, it’s even more important to show your house is on the market. Make sure you have a board outside your home to show all those potential buyers you are on the market! It will also help those buyers to identify which property is for sale on the street when they come for their viewing.
Get your papers in order
There’s no point in going for it if you don’t have all your paperwork up to date, to hand and ready to go. All the professionals involved in buying and selling houses, from conveyancers to mortgage brokers and agents, will be working right up to Christmas Eve. Get the ball rolling now and start making those phone calls! Don’t forget to think about removal vans as they will need to be booked in and start thinking about meter readings and redirection of your post.
The eyes have it
Christmas may be a joyful time but once people have had their fill of festive food and drink, they may be reaching for their phones or laptops as a distraction. Agents such as SBK often find there is increased traffic to their websites over the festive period so it’s even more of a reason to get your house on the market and seen by potential buyers. You may be surprised at how many viewings you get.
Packing up
If you are lucky to have some time off during the festive season, why not use it to start de-cluttering? Moving house is always a great way to get rid of things you don’t need – as long as you are ruthless and honest with yourself. Set aside some time to tackle each room and decide what you do and don’t need in your next home. You don’t want to be taking things if you don’t need them, especially if a removal company will charge you for the privilege. If you are short of cash this year with the cost of living crisis, or want to be more sustainable, why not gift any usable items you don’t want to friends and family? Alternatively you could donate to charity instead. There are lots of charity shops crying out for donations so pick one which is close to your heart. One of our favourites this year has been Cancer Research UK.
Finally, despite the recent uncertainty in the economic markets and changes in government, there are still plenty of buyers out there. So, if you are thinking of selling, don’t delay! Visit one of our offices or call one of the teams today and see how we can get you moving.
