ARTICLE - Should I try and sell my house at Christmas?

This is a question that I get asked about regularly by clients, and my answer is usually , If you can plan it that way, then it is best to start selling in January rather than in the November - December market. My reasoning for this is as follows:-

• Most people won't be looking seriously during November to December as they won't want the extra hassles of moving around the festuve period

• Your decorations are highly personal, and as such can interfere with the buyers perception of the space in your home - it may well put them off

• Buyers make an emotional decision on where they want to live, and often they say that they could see their family having christmas in the home that they end up buying. If you have set up your home ready for your family christmas, this may not match up to their ideal, and may subconsciously put them off.

• Putting your home on the market fresh in Januar works really well as the decorations have gone down, its a fresh start for everyone and one of the best times of the year to sell, and your home will be new to the market so will gain momentum from then on

• If you have viewings over christmas (as with changing seasons during your homea marketing) then the estate agents pictures won't look like what your home looks like with the decorations up - this can mean that people automatically assume the house has been on the market for a while, and therefore you may end up getting a lower offer

• People are on holiday and thinking about the holidays at this time - so even if you are ready and your decorations are minimal, you may not get the interest you wanted. Better to enjoy christmas without having to worry about viewings at all.

• For drive bys, if your home is already on the market, keep it simple and welcoming with a wreath at the door and white lights outside.

• Consider taking your home off the market during Christmas so that it comes back on with a bang at the main selling time in January. 

• If you do keep your home on the market at this time of year, keep decorations simple, and put a tree in the place where you imagined it to go when you first bought the house - this will ensure that the buyer gets the right feel for the property as much as possible. You have more responsibility than ever at this time of year to create the perfect home for christmas, because the buyers will get to see it!

I hope you get the sale you want this season, and for the right price, if you want any further advice please do not hesitate to contact me, or take a look at the home staging services provided.