Why November is the perfect time to put your house on the market

Did you know that the week between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day always sees a huge surge in people searching for homes online? It’s not completely clear why this is. Some people will be looking to the future now the festive rush is out of the way. Others will have visited relatives’ beautiful homes and would love to have them round to their own new place next year. Everyone has their own reason.

So, while you can put your house on the market at any time of the year, getting it done in November might just up your chances of finding a buyer in January, and of you getting a higher price, thanks to the greater demand around the end of the year.

Get your home sale-ready

If you’re thinking of selling, it’s smart to get it listed before December starts. There are a few reasons for this. One is that a clutter-free home looks better on the photographs and virtual tours – and if there’s one time of year that the smooth, clean lines of the building are disrupted, it’s Christmas. Decorations, cards, wrapped presents, shopping bags, fairy lights and of course that enormous, bushy tree all nibble away at the sense of space in the room.

When viewers look at the photos of a building for the first time, they’re imagining themselves in the home, with their own furniture and decor, laughing with family and friends. The fewer distractions there are, the more of a blank canvas you’re offering them to paint their own lifestyle onto. And don’t forget the fact that Christmas decorations are a matter of taste, and yours might be a bit of a turn-off for some potential buyers. In short, all that work you’ve put in decluttering and making your home look inviting but neutral will be for nothing if your house is all festive, however tasteful you are.

Another reason is that the more natural light there is in a building, the more attractive it is. In the UK there’s plenty of natural light most of the year round, but from December to March, the days become short, the weather is often cloudy or snowy, and the sun doesn’t get too high in the sky. That means that your rooms can look gloomy, even with artificial light, and your exterior shots might look a bit grey and shadowy too.

A Christmas break

One last thing to take account of is that the property industry tends to start easing off new instructions by the middle of December, as the whole chain of people – buyers, solicitors, banks, surveyors, sellers etc. – takes time off to celebrate the festive season. People are usually too busy to house-hunt in the middle of December anyway. Of course, the properties will remain online for those Boxing Day prospectors to find, but they’ll be mostly those that were added before mid-December.

We do all the hard work

Before you put your home on the market, why not have a chat with us so we can give you advice on getting your home looking its best before showing it to the world? We can also give you a free valuation based on the property itself and the trends in the market for your area. Then, once you’ve instructed us to sell, we’ll pull out all the stops to make sure your property is marketed to its best potential, with targeted ads and submission to the online property sites. And once the offers start rolling in, we’re ready to start negotiating with potential buyers to get you the best price, and see you through to completion. Find out more about our selling process here.

Could you be making the big move in the New Year? With expert help from Hills, and some impeccable timing, it might happen sooner than you think.

To find out what your home is currently worth and to discuss pre-Christmas marketing of your home, book a valuation or give us a call.

  Back