Should I sell my home at Christmas?

Do houses still sell at Christmas?  Is Christmas a good time to sell my house?  Is selling a property at Christmas a good idea?  Should I market my property at Christmas? Christmas is one of the busiest times of year, with everyone madly shopping and ordering presents online, but is it a great time to sell your home? There are plenty of good reasons to sell your house over the Christmas period, and a few reasons not to, so why not have a read and see what you think. Here’s our list of positives and negatives which will help you decide if selling at this time of year is the right decision for you

The positives of selling near Christmas: -

•    There are less houses for sale

There are ALWAYS people moving house, at all times of year, despite it being a busy family.  There are numerous reasons for house-moves which are irrespective of the time of year, for example, divorce and debt may lead people to have to sell up.  There are less houses on the market at this time, but this isn’t a bad thing and means your house will stand out.


•    Anyone viewing property now is serious about buying

It’s very unlikely that viewers at this time of year are ‘timewasters’.  If they are prepared to view your house at such a busy time, they are clearly serious about moving home.  You may well have less viewers, but those who do view will be more serious about buying.


•    Browsing property is far more accessible

The internet makes it so easy for people to browse property from the comfort of their own sofa, meaning more potential viewers all year round, including Christmas.  They no longer need to make the effort to visit an estate agency in person, so are much more likely to browse from home.  In fact, Rightmove, Zoopla and other property websites record their highest levels of website visits and property clicks between Christmas and New Year, than at any other time.

•    Viewings – can be easier to arrange 

As it’s a quieter time of year for the property market, viewings should be far easier to arrange at times convenient for both parties.

•    Does your property suit the Christmas market?

Let me explain this one… do you own a period property? A cottage maybe?  Or a Victorian townhouse perhaps?  Some older properties look simply amazing at Christmas time, almost like an old film set, with roaring fires and sparkling baubles on the tree and the smell of mulled wine and pine needles filling the air.  This is the time of year that some houses ‘blossom’ and come into their own.  Is yours one of them?

Here are the few negatives of selling near Christmas (we have to mention them to keep the blog ‘fair’)  : -

•    Does your estate agent close over Christmas and New Year?

It’s worth checking the festive opening hours with your chosen agency, as you may find that they close over the Christmas period.  Make sure your agent has something in place for enquiries over this period, even if it’s an answer-phone message with a mobile contact number – you don’t want to miss out on a potential sale.

•    Solicitors may close

This isn’t a huge problem, but it may delay any sale progression by a couple of weeks if they close over the festive period.


•    Over-cluttered houses with too many decorations

If you are selling at this time of year, try not to go too mad with the decorations or you may find that your viewers struggle to see beyond the flashing reindeer and dancing snowman!!  Try to keep decorations minimal and tasteful.

We have given you plenty of good reasons to sell around Christmas time…

Have you ever sold a property at Christmas?  Did the house sell quickly?  Would you recommend selling a house at Christmas?  Do you have any of your own tips or ideas about selling at this time of year?  We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas…

 

Send us an email at charles@danversestates.com or give us a call – 0116 275 8888