How to sell your home during the Festive period without losing your mind
Christmas can be a hectic time. Between shopping for gifts, decorating and getting ready for elf-on-the-shelf, work commitments and family commitments - it's so much.
Trying to sell your home on top of everything else could push you over the edge. Is it really worth the raised stress levels?
Christmas can be a hectic time. Between shopping for gifts, decorating and getting ready for elf-on-the-shelf, work commitments and family commitments - it's so much.
Trying to sell your home on top of everything else could push you over the edge. Is it really worth the raised stress levels?
What can you do if you want to move house? You've gone to the effort of putting the property on the market in the first place. Doing all the odd jobs around the house, cleaning as if your life depended on it. You've had the photo shoot and the video tour done, the EPC and a floorplan. You've even had a launch to the market with viewing days and feedback. Was all that effort just wasted?
You're just going to have to find the time, maybe even have a toned-down Christmas this year. Perhaps you decide not to have a tree or decorations in case there are viewing appointments. Perhaps you buy fewer presents for the family to reduce the time spent shopping and wrapping. And maybe this year you can go to the local pub for Christmas lunch instead of cooking?
It all sounds a bit bah humbug, though, doesn't it?
You shouldn't have to put your life on hold, or your festive celebrations, because you are trying to sell your home. Why not consider pausing the marketing of the property? Just until the new year?
Give yourself a break, enjoy the time off with your family and the magic of the Christmas period. And then reignite the marketing with renewed vigour in the new year.
Don't worry that you may miss out on buyers. This time of year is busy for everyone, so all potential buyers have likely paused their property search until the new year too. They are also trying to navigate nativity plays, staff parties and the chaos of Christmas shopping.
You won't lose anything by pausing, but if you try to do everything, you might just lose your sanity!
And think about that new year's return to the market. You've had a little break, and your marketing will be ready and raring to go for the new year rush. You'll have had time away from the viewing appointments and frantic cleaning and hoovering so that you are ready to take it all on again.
Having a break is an excellent idea if you are starting to feel bogged down or disheartened, and what better time to do it than when everyone is so busy with their own plans that you won't miss out on any potential sales.
Each year Rightmove reports that the traffic they see on their website between Christmas and New Year is higher than at any other time. But, in the lead-up to Christmas, there are far fewer browsers.
So, ask your estate agent to pause your marketing in the lead-up to Christmas, but make sure they relaunch it before they close for the Christmas break. That way, you will have the peace of mind that property marketing will not interrupt your Christmas, but your property will be on the market for all those Boxing Day browsers to see.
If you're on the market and are thinking of changing agents, this could be a fantastic time to do it. Give notice to your current agent and withdraw from the market. Get the marketing prepared with your new agent and come back to the market with a bang in Jan!
Get in touch today if you want to know more about pausing your property marketing during the festive period. Our property experts will be only too happy to help and advise accordingly.
Merry Christmas!