We wish you a Merry Christmas….and a happy New Home. The 2024 festive season presents us with a unique set of circumstances that potential home movers simply can’t ignore.
The next two months are shaping up to be prime selling time, even with Christmas in full swing. If you thought everyone was busy decorating trees and present wrapping, think again.
Serious buyers are active today
The latest figures from Rightmove suggest people are actually busy with property. A recent report by GetAgent found there has been a 5.1% rise in sales across Great Britain in 2024. Drilling down into more detail, Rightmove’s analysis showed the number of sales agreed in November 2024 was 26% more than achieved in November 2023, with a 6% increase in buyer numbers as well.
Many of December’s home movers will be motivated by a completion before 1st April 2025 – that means buyers will start paying 2% on the portion of a purchase worth between £125,001 to £250,000. It’s a change that will make all but the very cheapest homes more expensive to buy. Serious buyers are looking right now and will fit viewings in between festivities and family commitments.
Not ready to sell immediately?
You don’t have to have a ‘for sale’ board in December or host viewings while you have your Christmas tree up to make the most of current momentum. You can enjoy the festive season and we’ll put you in pole position for when people start searching on Boxing Day.
The Boxing Day bounce is nothing new but many potential sellers fail to prepare in time for one of property’s busiest days. There were 17% more buyer enquiries on Boxing Day 2023 compared to Boxing Day 2022 – that’s thousands of hopeful purchasers searching for a property while they tuck into their turkey sandwiches.
Boxing Day is a competitive market for sellers too. An amazing 10,000 new listings were launched on Rightmove on Boxing Day 2023 and the same is forecast again this year. If your home is not ready to launch to market this Christmas, a buyer may fall in love with someone else’s home!
We can work in the background to get everything ready to sell your home and press the ‘go live’ button just ahead of 26th December. To ensure everything is lined up, book a valuation today and enjoy Christmas knowing we’re taking care of everything.
Opt for a New Year’s Day launch instead
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, moving home is up there with losing weight and getting fit. If last year’s data is anything to go by, a new home is an easier resolution to keep than shifting a few pounds or running 5K. Rightmove registered 9 of its 10 busiest days on record for people getting a mortgage in principle in January 2024, while the total ‘purchase mortgage’ searches conducted by independent financial advisers in January 2024 was the highest for four years at more than 1.3 million.
Early preparations are key
If you have got your sights set on a new home in the New Year, please don’t put off the groundwork. Use December to book a valuation, instruct us and prepare your listing so everything is in place to launch on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. In a hurry? We can get your home advertised and online within days. Get in touch to start your sale.
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