Why you should list your house for sale over Christmas
It may come as a bit of a surprise, but in our experience, vendors receive a huge amount of interest over the Christmas period. Historically, the property market is incredibly active at this time and it shows no signs of slowing down this year either – we’ve consistently adapted throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and are still experiencing high demand from both buyers and sellers. As we edge closer to the stamp duty deadline of 31st March 2021, there's even more incentive than usual to sell over Christmas and take advantage of the tax break.
Here are a few more reasons why the Christmas period is a fantastic time to put your house on the market and ensure a fast, profitable sale.
The statistics don't lie!
Boxing Day is officially the busiest day of the year for people actively searching on RightMove – last year they announced record visitor numbers with more than two million people viewing more than 40 million pages. Broader statistics also show that those days between Christmas and New Year make up the busiest period for internet traffic across property websites. Once everyone’s finished their leftovers and settled on the sofa with a mince pie, what else is there to do than to get out their shiny new iPad and start looking for their dream home? Make sure yours listed in time to take advantage of the seasonal browsing surge.
Beat the January rush
January always brings with it a flood of people looking to buy and sell – so why not get things sorted early and have your property valued, registered and marketed in advance? The number of available houses for sale decreases during this period (as people put it off as a new year’s resolution and choose to relax with family over the holidays) so competition is reduced amongst sellers and increased amongst buyers. You're likely to achieve a great sale price whilst your home stands out in a quieter period, prior to the flurry of homes going up early next year.
New year, new home
Research shows that potential buyers are highly motivated at this time of year, with a spring move and a fresh start for the New Year in mind. Families have time to come together, make important decisions and become fully committed for projects in the year ahead.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also caused people to re-evaluate their living situation, with many deciding they might really need a garden or a study after all, or finally deciding to make the big move to a more rural, quieter area. Serious buyers are also generally more likely to move quickly when putting in an offer, compared to those window shopping throughout the year.
Winter charm
Finally, the winter season adds a certain type of charm to your home at a time when people are naturally in a more positive and joyful mood. This can increase the chances of building an emotional connection with a buyer, causing them to fall in love with the place. We don’t recommend your marketing images to be filled with Christmas decorations and clutter as this could be distracting, but if you showcase a warm, welcoming home with nice lighting and lots of cosy cushions, it’s sure to make an impact!
So, why delay if you're ready to sell? You could be missing out on a fantastic opportunity to expose your property to significant numbers of active buyers. If you’re ready to put your home on the market after reading our advice, please contact me today for your free, no obligation sales valuation on 02920 454555 or nathan.walker@cpshomes.co.uk.
The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.
