Thinking of selling your property over the festive period?
December 2nd, 2021
Thinking of putting your house on the market in December?
Estate Agent St Albans – Property Market News
When exactly is the ‘right’ time to sell? Should you sell over Christmas and New Year?
Many people believe the festive period is slow for property – but previous years’ have shown us that it is in fact, the opposite! The property market is very much still active at this time of year.
Is Boxing Day the best day to list your property?
Should you list on Boxing Day? Are the rumours true that Boxing Day is ‘the’ day to list? Should you wait until the New Year, or get ahead of the masses and get in before Christmas?
This is a popular topic in the world of Estate Agents and a dilemma many potential sellers find themselves in. Read on below to explore the pro’s and con’s of selling in December or waiting until Boxing Day and New year…
Should I put my property on the market on Boxing Day?
You may have heard Estate Agents say that Boxing Day is the best day to list your property on the popular property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla.
In short, the answer is yes – traditionally this has been known as Rightmove’s busiest day and here’s a few reasons why:
- DIGITAL AGE – In this digital age, you’ve got an opportunity where millions of sofa-scrollers are browsing Rightmove and Zoopla between Christmas and New Year – this means an active audience – great news for you as a seller
- HIGH ONLINE TRAFFIC – In 2020, Rightmove recorded 51 million visits between Boxing Day and the New Year – are people ready to move as soon as Christmas is over?
- NEW LISTINGS ON BOXING DAY – Many Estate Agents get specific requests to launch new properties on Boxing Day – it’s a popular day! Many sellers then find themselves at the top of the property portals being ‘newly listed’ when people are scrolling and searching
- TECH CHRISTMAS GIFTS – One reason why this date is so popular online could be because people get gifted new tablets and smart phones for Christmas and maybe people are at home after a busy Christmas day and enjoying some down time?
- IT’S A NEW YEAR! – It’s a New Year approaching – perhaps people are thinking about a new home and all family members are together to discuss the possibilities
Ready to put your house on the market?
Don’t delay in putting your property up for sale. You can simply say no to viewings over the holiday period yet still have your home seen by the biggest audience looking online. We’ll just delay the viewings until you are ready!
If you’re thinking about putting your property on the market before Christmas, Brian can help – get in touch using the following details:
T: 07939 055524 / 0345 257 9827
Why do people start house hunting on Boxing Day?
Here’s a few of the reasons why we think people choose to start house hunting on Boxing Day that we’ve come across over the years – do any of these apply to you?
- The kids got too many presents – it made us realise we need more space
- We really want a bigger dining area so we can host Christmas next year for all the family
- We’ve just got engaged and are looking for our first home together
- Christmas has made us realise we want to be closer to family so are thinking of re-locating
- We need to downsize – the cost of Christmas has got on top of us
- We’re both off work and we’ve got some down time to properly search for our dream home together
Everyone has their own reason for wanting to move. However, if you are thinking of selling, why not make the most of this unexpected bounce in the housing market?
Should you sell your property before Christmas?
On the flip side, there are also many reasons why you should get your property on the market sooner rather than later when it comes to Christmas…
- LESS COMPETITION – If you list before Christmas, you can benefit from less competition and crowding on the market – everyone else waits for Boxing Day so why not get your property on before the masses? Your property then shines ahead of the crowd and potentially is more likely to get snapped up quickly!
- HIGH QUALITY OF BUYERS – December and the Christmas period is a great time to try to sell your property as the quality of the buyer is higher than at any other time of the year. If someone is out house hunting around Christmas time, it generally means they are motivated to buy quickly. The speculative, non-motivated viewings decrease as people are busy preparing for Santa and won’t go out to view unless they must. There also tends to be less properties for sale around this time of year and therefore less competition to compete against for a buyer’s attention.
- PICTURES – Instructing your agent to take pictures BEFORE you put all your Christmas decorations ensures your listing isn’t dated if it doesn’t sell instantly. It is also worth noting that when houses are photographed at this time of year the roof, garden or driveway can have frost or snow in the image. If your property does not go under offer over the Christmas period, Brian will ensure fresh photos are taken in better weather again. Nothing worse than an agent who does not care how the property looks and you have a snowman in your picture in Feb in milder weather!!
- HIGHER SERVICE LEVELS PRE CHRISTMAS – Traditionally, people take time off over Christmas and therefore service levels within estate agents may drop – this means that if you choose to list on Boxing Day you may find it harder for potential buyers to make an appointment as staff levels are reduced – if you list before Christmas, it will give people a chance to get a date in the diary, even if this isn’t scheduled until the New Year
- MOTIVATION TO MOVE – if you are lucky to get a sale agreed pre Christmas, you can start the ball rolling before the busy festive period – in the New Year people are more likely to be motivated to get things going and move quickly!
- POSTPONE VIEWINGS – You can operate a ‘Do Not Disturb’ policy over Christmas so all viewing appointments are made in the run up to Christmas or carried over to the New Year – we can agree suitable dates in advance when your property goes on the market
To summarise:
Listing your property in December can attract a higher quality of buyer and ensure your property stands out before the ‘masses’ on Boxing Day. Serious buyers are looking NOW, so get in front of them before the Christmas rush and list your property this month. See what other properties are currently being marketed by Brian Moran, Independent Estate Agent covering Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
There is lots to think about and putting your house on the market is a BIG decision to make. But it doesn’t have to be a complicated and stressful time.
Get in touch with Brian Moran, Independent Estate Agent…
Brian Moran, Independent Estate Agent, powered by EXP, has many years’ experience and the knowledge to help you make the best decision for you and tips to make sure you find the right buyer.
If you’re struggling to decide when is the best time to put your property on the market, why not give Brian a call and have a chat?
T: 07939 055524 / 0345 257 9827
F: www.facebook.com/brianmoranindependentestateagent
Brian Moran EXP covers a wide range of locations across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, including St Albans, Marshalwick, St Julians, London Colney, Dunstable, Henlow and the surrounding areas.
