Presenting your property for a Boxing Day launch
This festive season brings with it a unique opportunity to launch your property to the market with our special Boxing Day listings. 30 million house-hunters are expected to be browsing online during the days between Boxing Day and New Year's, and our track record for selling success speaks volumes too!
Last Boxing Day, all of our featured listings received offers meeting or exceeding asking prices by January, with over half sold within a week. We're currently gearing up for a fresh wave of property launches on Boxing Day, so don't miss out if you’d like to be featured! Schedule a free valuation before December 18th by calling 02920 454555 or booking online today.
We’ll be offering home staging advice to all vendors taking part in our Boxing Day launch and thought we’d share some of our top tips here too. It’s perfectly fine to put up your decorations for the holidays when preparing your home for sale, as long as you keep things simple and clutter-free, making sure the décor doesn’t overshadow the home itself.
1. Creating holiday curb appeal
The front and exterior of your home is the first thing interested parties will see, so it's traditionally used as the leading shot and designed to grab attention in our marketing videos. Enhancing curb appeal during the Christmas season is a fantastic way to attract potential buyers – here are a few ways you can do so:
Decorate your front door with a tasteful wreath or garland. Choose colours that complement the exterior of your home to create a welcoming entrance.
- Place some pretty, festive potted plants (such as red or white poinsettias) on the porch or near the doorway. This adds colour and a holiday feel. We’d advise against any big lawn ornaments or anything too flashy (if this is your style, simply pop them away when we arrive to take the marketing photos and video, then bring them back out when it’s all done!)
- If you’d like to add lights, opt for elegant white ones with classic round bulbs. Keep their placement simple, focusing on key areas like the roof, any pillars or large trees or perhaps some to accent the pathway leading to the doorway.
- Remember to keep the lawn well-maintained – rake leaves and trim any overgrown bushes or branches to present a neat and cared-for appearance. If your property has a forecourt or a driveway, a quick jet wash and removal of leaves and other seasonal debris is well worth it, touching up any chipped or cracked paint on walls or railings whilst you're at it. Make your buyers fall in love at first sight!
2. Living room décor
Here's where we encourage your prospective buyer to be imaginative and allow them to envisage themselves living in the property:
- Choose Christmas decorations go well with your living room's existing décor, aiming to create a cohesive look and avoid overwhelming buyers with too many contrasting colours. Only incorporate two to three colours (hues of red or green, with touches of gold or silver are safe bets).
- We recommend opting for a well-proportioned and stylish Christmas tree that fits in well with the size of your living room. If it’s too big, it will take up too much space and might make the room seem smaller than it is. Less is more with hanging tree decorations too and we don’t recommend leaving presents underneath, as it can feel a little too personal.
- Introduce seasonal throws and pillows in festive but understated patterns. The small addition of a couple of new feature cushions and a throw (bargain shops and supermarkets will be ideal for finding some nice ones) is a cost-effective way to instantly make the room a little more homely, without sacrificing its overall aesthetic.
3. Embrace warm, ambient lighting
At this time of year, the sun probably won’t stream through your windows the way it does during the summer months. Optimising the lighting not only showcases the features of your home at their best (such as wooden flooring and any unique details) but also contributes potential buyers’ mood and whether they make an emotional connection with the place. So make sure none of the rooms are dimly lit, as you’ll want to leave positive and lasting impression.
- Combat the winter gloom by using warm lighting throughout your home, making use of any wall and table lamps too. It's warm-toned light that fosters a cosy, intimate and relaxing ambience, so envelop them in a glow that makes your house feel inviting and comfortable.
- Consider lighting some scented candles that aren’t too sickly and sweet. A blend of vanilla and sandalwood can create a comforting, creamy scent without being overly sweet, or a Wintery woodland-inspired scent with cleansing pine and crisp eucalyptus is always a good pick.
- If you have a fireplace, you'll want to get the fire roaring for our video tour and at the open-house appointment. If your fireplace is wood burning, then place logs next to the fireplace in preparation for the fire. Even if the fireplace is gas or electric, you still want it to feel realistic and inviting. Decorate the mantle with subtle pine branches or other elegant festive additions if you like.
Whilst some people looking to sell their home may postpone until the New Year, assuming it's too much hassle, our tried and tested Boxing Day listings prove year on year that there's no better time to prepare your property for sale. Our aim is to get your home sold subject to contract in January, putting you in a strong buying position for early Spring.Get in touch on 02920 454555 by December 18th to join our Boxing Day Listings 2023 or book your free valuation with Nathan and Sian today.
The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.
