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13th December 2016
As the old songs say, there’s no place like home at Christmas.
However, when it comes to trying to sell your property during this busy period, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. After all, how can you focus on family and festivity when you’ve got the house sale process to contend with?
The good news is that contrary to popular wisdom, winter can be a rewarding time to sell. While the number of houses on the market usually drops around this time, there are still plenty of buyers searching for their dream house - Rightmove often sees around 500,000 visits on Christmas Day, and another 1.3 million on Boxing Day.
With many buyers hoping for a moving date early in the New Year and finding themselves with extra time off work, Christmas has proven a popular time of year for the most committed buyers.
The fact that there are fewer properties on the market at this time also increases demand, meaning that the value of your property could go up.
Therefore, sticking with your selling process across the winter may get you noticed more quickly and result in higher offers than waiting for spring would.
If all you want for Christmas is to sell your property, then follow our tips for selling over the holiday period. With a little attention to detail, you’ll soon have a moving-out date to put on your new 2017 calendar!
The first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you’re sure you want to carry on over the Christmas period. If you’re committed to hosting a big family gathering, for example, or are planning to travel over the break, the combined efforts may detract from your own feelings of festivity.
Furthermore, constant viewings will make it near impossible for your home to be the festive hive of activity it usually is around this time of year - as well as considering alternatives to decorations, you’ll need to keep on top of clutter even more than usual.
If you do decide to prioritise selling your home, make sure that you give yourself some time off, to focus on your own celebrations, or just to relax!
If you’ve yet to put your house on the market and are expecting to have photographs taken for your property listing, make sure you wait to put up decorations.
A tree and decorations will not only distract viewers from the proportions of the rooms when they look at the photos, but will clearly date when the house was put on the market. If your home doesn’t sell for a few weeks, viewers will know instantly that you’ve been trying to sell since before Christmas.
Once the photographs have been taken, decking the halls can commence with care. Choose minimal, tasteful decorations that are in keeping with your property.
A small tree and a stylish Nordic garland will be far easier for viewers to imagine their own lifestyles around than an enormous pine and endless tinsel. Consider keeping presents hidden away until Christmas day itself.
Too many gifts and decorations will make your house look untidy to an outsider, and could make the space feel smaller. Aim to create a cozy atmosphere without overdoing it.
While we’re on the subject of cosiness, make sure that your home is at an ambient temperature during viewings. Leave the radiators off, and potential buyers will wonder whether your house is poorly insulated. Turn the heating up too much, however, and the space will seem stuffy and uncomfortable.
Winter viewings are an ideal opportunity to show off how comfortable your house can be. Make sure that viewers can experience this as soon as they step in through the door. If you have an extra feature such as a log fireplace, now’s the time to light it!
Winter can be the most difficult time to keep any outdoor space in good order, with unpredictable weather and bare branches taking their toll. However, any extra attention to your property’s exterior will make it stand out from the rest more than ever.
Ensure that gutters, window frames and doors are well maintained, as paintwork can get flakey and wood can get damp in the winter. Keep any lawn space free of leaves and neatly cut, and keep a close eye on algae or moss growing on paving stones.
You may want to consider leaving some strategically-placed furniture out in the garden, so that buyers can imagine the space coming to life in the summer.
Choosing an expert and empathetic estate agent can make all the difference at Christmas time. Your agent should act as a trusted partner, handling all the technicalities of the sale and allowing you to focus on enjoying your festivities.
With a keen knowledge of the local market, Maslen can not only give you a realistic expectation of how long a winter sale will take, but our team will do all they can to find the right buyer as soon as possible and give you something else to celebrate this season.
For a streamlined selling process at any time of year, check out our seller’s guide or get in contact today.