Selling before/after Christmas ??

[MrsMontyD]

My estate agent has advised getting my house on the market before Christmas because lots of people start house hunting on Boxing Day, how important do you think this is?

I can't see there being lots of competition where I live, there aren't lots of houses on the market and they're still selling fairly quickly.

Would photos with Christmas decorations up be detrimental? I'm assuming it's not ideal once we're into January.

I am procrastinating for various reasons and do want to get on with it, the house just needs a good clean and tidy and a few areas touching up with paint, so doable if I get my finger out but some pressure on top of other issues.

It sounds like you don't feel ready so I'd wait and have a good clean when you take the Christmas decs down.

My preference would be to take time from now till Christmas to get what needs doing done and then put the house on the market in the new year. I felt under some pressure from the estate agent though and I'm having some health problems at the moment so not my usual self.

Tell the EA to back off. They just want to get their commission in ASAP. They're working for you once you sign the contract, not you for them.

I will, it's been a while (three months ish) since I signed the contract with them but I was diagnosed with cancer and it's put me back a bit. There's no immediate rush from my perspective although I do want to get things moving.

We put ours on the market this week because we've found a house we really like. I had to hold my DH back from putting up the decorations before the photos were done! We have 3 viewings booked in for this weekend. Our estate agent mentioned that things go very quiet in the last two-three weeks of December and then from early January there's usually a rush of enquiries from people who have been looking over Christmas. I don't think you'd really lose out waiting. Those same people will still be looking in January.

At this point I would wait till after Christmas if you aren't in a rush, which it doesn't sound like you are - would you really want the stress of viewings just before or after Christmas? I'd get the small jobs done, enjoy Christmas, then get ready for listing it in the new year. A week ish won't make a big difference. Good luck!

I’ve been looking on Rightmove since August/September. There is a house on there with it’s Christmas decorations up. We didn’t even entertain viewing because the photos had decorations up so knew it’s been on for ages. It has now been reduced a number of times but I would either have photos done now or wait.

I assume you saw the news from natwest yesterday that house prices are dropping quicky? This is no time to hang about!

I wouldn’t yet, I’d rather be new to the market in the new year.