Ask the Agent – Is Christmas the Right Time to Sell your House in UK?

Holiday trend for UK properties…

In general, colder months, (especially time around holidays) are considered colder for the realty market as the sales fall. It is because time around holidays is viewed as a time to relax, think about immediate festivities, and not to stress about anything else. Sellers also do not want to arrange home viewings during this festive season and would like to bunker up with family only.

On the contrary, sellers are considered serious about selling their homes, who put them on market between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And the same goes for buyers. If someone is taking out time from their gift shopping schedule to visit a house – is serious about purchasing the property. That is why; it is considered the best time to put your property for sale on market.

Note: Before planning to sell your home around the Christmas holidays, keep in mind that it is buyers’ market. You may likely get fewer offers, yet the buyers are serious to purchase your home.

Pros of selling your home around Christmas:

• Fewer sellers
• More buyers as compared to sellers
• Lesser yet serious offers
• Undivided attention from agents to push your property better in market

Some cons are also associated with holiday home selling:

• Less offers
• Fewer buyers willing to attend the open house

You can find serious buyers around holidays…

Yes, it is true because people are mostly in the rut of 9 to 6 job schedule and most of them get time during holidays such as a long weekend or around festive holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. If this is a general behaviour then how come that serious buyers will suddenly cancel the home buying plans and refuse to check the listings of properties for sale or attend any open house.

On the contrary, it is also true that you may get fewer offers as compared to spring months but a majority of the offers will be by the buyers, who are serious to secure a home in the UK.

Remember, when the weather is nice, people would like to explore more and they may likely attend more open houses – due to the number of options available in the market.

Is Christmas NOT the right time to put your house on market?

Previously, it was always assumed that if you are planning to sell your home, you should either put it on the market weeks before holidays or after the holidays. Mostly, because people remain occupied near and during the holidays and do not prioritize any purchase that involves serious planning. Therefore, real estate experts would suggest you hold onto your property a few more days and bring it to market right after the holidays.

Note: A general observation is that the property listings right after Christmas (in the first 3 weeks of January) would generate maximum views. Though the majority of experts unanimously agree that spring is the best time to sell your UK property because, people get ample sun and time to visit open houses for as many properties as possible.

Real estate experts at Copperstones debunked the holidays’ sales myth

When we asked the same question to the real estate experts at Copperstones; should people hold their properties for sale near festive holidays such as Christmas? They disagree with this trend.

“Who says that people do not make bigger purchase decisions during holidays?” said Shahwali Bashir, Director Copperstones. Mobile banking is on the go, you can order anything through multiple apps on your phones, then how come you can ignore a good deal, just because it is put right before holidays? “When everything is available on your cell phone, it is hard to believe that potential buyers stop searching for a good deal during holidays. With countless property portals and mobile-friendly websites, a modern user is always in search of a viable investment option” he stated further.

Moreover, not just the real estate agents but property sellers have become conscious about aesthetics and they do not shy away from hiring professional home staging services to make their homes look more appealing to potential buyers. And they hire professional photographers to get high-resolution pictures of their home – before putting a property on market. And during COVID-19 led pandemic, we have observed advancements in technologies such as, real estate experts can offer you virtual tours of selected homes.

With better than ever property images, 360° home views and virtual tours of properties, it has become a lot easier for potential buyers to make a property purchase decision, especially when it is available at reasonable rates.

Note: According to real estate experts, home staging is a proven sales strategy that can help you sell your home faster and at a better price.

Copperstones offers bespoke professional home staging services in the UK that can help you style and transform your home.

The UK property market is already performing well, as the UK house prices showed an upward trend in November 2021, as prices rose more than expected. And after reading this post, you must also know that putting up your home for sale around the holiday season is not a bad idea. However, if you are still confused, you must talk to one of our real estate experts at +44 203 888 55555, who can guide you with a bespoke investment plan and discuss the statistics about the market performance around this time.