It's all in the timing - get prepared now for a January boost in the property market.
January is almost always a busy time for the property market - follow these tips to make your dreams of a house move in 2024 a reality.
If you are planning a house move in 2024, preparing right now is a fantastic idea. Of course, you have other things on your mind now, with Christmas just around the corner, but as soon as the decorations come down and Mariah Carey has stopped singing 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' for another year, 2024 will be in full swing and the optimistic house buyers that are looking for a new place in the new year will be out in force, ready to buy.
If you are not already on the market, you risk missing out on these proactive buyers altogether. By the time you've got yourself sorted and decluttered and had your photoshoot, ready to launch your property to the market for sale, the most proactive (and therefore most likely to buy) buyers may have already bought somewhere else.
It is all in the timing. Selling your property is more than possible at any time of the year, but there are seasonal swings that can be relied upon to be busier times in the property market than at others. One of the busiest periods for new properties coming onto the market and new buyers making offers is the new year.
So, how can you capitalise on this?
Get prepared - Think ahead and prepare your property for marketing before you get too deep into preparing for Christmas. This could be as simple as decluttering and getting those odd jobs done, or you could go the whole hog and have your estate agent prepare the marketing for you. This would leave you free to enjoy your (hopefully) last family Christmas in your current home.
Photos now - launch later. Very soon, you will have your Christmas tree up and fairy lights galore. Whilst this can look lovely, it is not necessarily ideal for your property marketing. This is because your images will be dated if you market your property with Christmassy photographs in April. Having your pictures taken before you turn your home into Santa's grotto is a much better option. Your estate agent can then be preparing your marketing materials and getting geared up for a launch to market just before Christmas Day to take advantage of the…
Boxing Day Boost - You've probably heard this said already, but Boxing Day is regularly reported as the busiest day for new traffic to Rightmove. This is likely because buyers will wait to get Christmas out of the way before planning their move. Christmas is also one of the few times when almost everyone in the household will be off on the Christmas break. With all those days spending extra time together, there is room for a meaningful discussion about your moving plans for the year ahead.
What about viewings? - It is rather unlikely that you'll want a stream of viewers coming to look around your home in the days between Christmas and New Year whilst you're still working your way through the leftover turkey and trying to get all of the wrapping and boxes into the recycling. But there is no need to worry. Simply inform your estate agent that, whilst you would like the property launch to take place in time to benefit from the Boxing Day boost, you do not want to arrange in-person visits until January. This delay could work in your favour, too, because it will create anticipation in the viewers and leave you free to enjoy your Christmas break without interruptions.
If you are planning to move house in 2024, getting prepared could pay dividends and leave you the freedom of an extraordinary family Christmas without interruptions, safe in the knowledge that everything is ready to go live at the perfect time, which could also result in you selling your home for more.
To find out how we can help you get ready to sell your home in the new year, get in touch with our team of property experts today.