Moving house over the festive season may not seem like the most relaxing time of the year to pack up all your belongings and settle into a new home, however the property market is still very much active at this time of year, and it can actually be a great time to move. Not only do many people have time off work over the Christmas period meaning spare time for house viewings, but many potential buyers will be motivated to have their new home secured in time for the New Year.
If you are in the process of selling or buying over the Christmas period, here’s some top tips to help ensure a smooth process.
A strong online presence is vital
One bonus of having your house on the market over the Christmas period is that generally potential buyers will have some free time on their hands for browsing all of the major property portals, so it’s vital that your home has a strong online presence on the likes of Rightmove and Zoopla.
In fact, Rightmove reported last Christmas the period between Boxing Day and the start of 2022 was the busiest on record for homemovers, and the property portal recorded a 23% rise in buyer demand during last year’s festive period compared to the same period in the previous year.
If you have your home listed over Christmas, this doesn’t mean that you will have to do viewings when you want to be spending quality time with your family, instead make sure your property has a good online presence and let your estate agent know that you’d like to line up your viewings after the New Year.
Arrange viewings in the morning
Many people would think that winter isn’t a good time for viewings due to drizzly weather and freezing temperatures, however you can use this to your advantage and make your property seem bright, warm and cosy.
If possible, try to arrange viewings in the daylight, especially if you’ve got a nice garden which you’d like your potential buyers to see, and to give them a true experience of the property and its grounds.
Photography
Festive decorations can definitely add a warm and homely feel to a property, but remember if you’re planning on using photographs showing your Christmas tree or stair garland, these can quickly become outdated come January. Remember, at the end of the day although the
Christmas decorations add a certain appeal, your potential buyer will be much more interested in the rooms themselves and not your lovely festive touches, so if you want your listing to remain current then it’s sensible to ditch the decs and instead choose photographs that show off the best features of your property and size of your rooms.
If you think your property could do with some finishing touches before it’s photographed for its online listing, check out our blog about how to add value to your home including some top tips on increasing your kerb appeal – 8 ways to add value to your home! (you-convey.co.uk)
Be patient
It’s important to keep in mind that in addition to your potential buyers having time off for Christmas meaning you may have a good amount of interest in your property, estate agents and solicitors will likely have some time off too. This means that if you do receive an offer, it may not progress as quickly as you’d like, and you may need to be patient and wait until the new year. Physical viewings may also slow down during the Christmas week, if families are busy with young children or if they choose to go on holiday for a few days. Be patient and try to line up the viewings for the new year.
Stay flexible
For many, Christmas is a time for seeing friends, family and making plenty of festive plans. Therefore, it’s good to try and ensure you can be as flexible as possible when it comes to viewings, and show your potential buyer that you’re willing to fit them in at a time which suits you both. This will allow you to get off on the right foot and build a rapport with them, whilst being friendly and helpful which will help leave a good first impression.
Get ready for the New Year rush
As previously mentioned, many people will be looking for a new home with a fresh start come 2023, so it’s important to make sure you’re ready for the new year rush. Remember it can take some time for your property to be listed online, your estate agency will need to prepare the marketing materials which includes drafting floor plans, taking photographs and commissioning an Energy Performance Certificate so allow sufficient time for this.
If your estate agent is having some time off over the Christmas period, make sure to start this process with enough time to get your property ready to go live at the desired time and so it launches to the market in the best possible way.
Don’t wait until Spring
Many sellers will be tempted to wait until spring or after the summer holidays to sell their property, as this is one of the most popular times to sell due to better weather and longer, brighter days. However, with this comes more supply and therefore more competition, whereas throughout the Christmas period there is less supply but still a good amount of demand. By selling your home in the winter, you could get a better price for it compared to during the spring when you’re up against a lot of competition.
If you’re looking to buy around Christmas, a tip for house hunters is to contact your local estate agents and see what properties they’re holding back to launch over the Christmas period. This will ensure you get to register your interest first, and will have greater choice when it comes to booking viewings at a time which suits you.
We hope those tips are helpful, and if you’re looking to buy or sell but not sure where to start, get in touch with us today for some friendly no obligation advice – Contact Us – YouConvey – The UK’s first collaborative conveyancing service (you-convey.co.uk)