Received wisdom suggests that listing your home in the weeks leading up to Christmas isn’t the best move as everything slows down in the market before the turkey is carved.

While there is something in that – as agents wind down before the festive period, and activity slows a little – there is still a very strong argument for bringing your home to the market in the next few weeks to take advantage of the Christmas viewing bonanza.

As a seller, your chances of selling your home – in the quickest time and for the best possible price – increase exponentially the more eyes you have on it. And, in the period between Christmas and New Year, the exposure your property could receive is unparalleled.

Here, we set out why listing your home now could bring big rewards later.

Viewing homes is the new charades
For the last few years, one of the favourite festive activities hasn’t been watching the Strictly special, playing board games or re-watching popular Christmas films for the hundredth time, but browsing the property portals for new homes.

Given the time and space that isn’t usually afforded to them when life is busy and chaotic, would-be buyers use that unique window between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to put into action their home-buying plans.

Rightmove, the UK’s biggest property website, has witnessed record levels of Christmas traffic over recent years. The portal claimed its visits over the Christmas period 2021 were its busiest ever, with buyer demand up 23% on the same period in 2020. What’s more, it recorded its busiest ever Boxing Day for visits to its site and apps.

At the time, Rightmove’s director of property data, Tim Bannister, said: “Boxing Day traditionally signals the start of activity ramping up as people turn their attention from turkey and trimmings to their plans for 2022, and activity is set to increase further as January unfolds and people start to settle down into a routine after the December break.

Despite the frenzied market activity witnessed throughout 2021 – when the stamp duty holiday and the post-pandemic boom supercharged the property sector – Rightmove recorded even higher levels of buyer demand in the period between Boxing Day and the New Year last year, ‘driven by a sustained desire to get on and move’.

In 2020, meanwhile, Rightmove witnessed over 51 million visits between Boxing Day and the first working day of the new year – making this time of the year hugely valuable for sellers who want their home to be seen by the widest range of prospective buyers.

You’ll be ahead of the competition
By listing now or in the next few weeks, you put yourself in a great position to take advantage of the Christmas rush. If you decide to wait until after Christmas before listing, you would be missing out on the huge increase in traffic experienced by the portals at this time.

You are very unlikely to get your home sold in that period between Christmas and New Year, but generating initial interest then could turn into viewings in the first few weeks of 2023. This would put you in a better position than someone who decides to wait until January and then has to wait potentially weeks for interest to be generated.

Although the market is undoubtedly tougher this year, it seems unlikely that the new Christmas tradition of browsing for property will diminish, so the value of listing remains high.

The property market typically experiences a post-Christmas and New Year boost, and by listing in advance you will be well-equipped to benefit from this.

Of course, just listing isn’t enough to get eyeballs on your home – your property also needs to look the part and draw buyers in. Focusing on your property marketing and making it season-specific – pictures of fireplaces or cosy living rooms could play particularly well at this time of year, for example – could improve your chances of selling your home.

For more information about why listing your home before Christmas could be a wise move, please get in touch with us today. 

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Brian Moran Independent Estate Agent offers a bespoke, tailored service with the focus on quality not quantity.

All properties are marketed with professional photography, floorplans and virtual tours and presented on Rightmove and Zoopla to ensure that your property reaches the biggest audience possible.

Brian Moran Independent Estate Agent is based primarily in and around the St. Albans area and has helped many homeowners to move over the years in both Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. If you would like more detail on how his unique service could work for you and your family, please get in touch, anytime!