BE BOXING DAY READY
It pays to be Boxing Day ready and below we highlight just four of the many reasons why in property it is always best to be organised and ‘get ahead of the game’.
1. BE READY FOR THE ‘BOXING DAY BOOM’ IN BUYER DEMAND
Boxing Day marks the start of the 2024 home-buying season. Every year sees more and more people access the major property portals during the festive period. Last year Rightmove had +69% visits in the 2nd week of January vs 1st week of December and astonishingly a HUGE +82% increase in visits from Christmas Day to Boxing Day, so it’s a extremely valuable time if you want to make sure your home is going to be seen by lots of potential buyers.
We see a surge in the number of people searching for property from Boxing Day onwards, perhaps with a resolve to enjoy their next Christmas in new surroundings. Some of those additional buyers will also be new sellers who have held back until this period, judging it to be a good time to sell and to move in 2024.
2. GET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN NOW — BEFORE FESTIVE DECORATIONS DATE YOUR LISTING
You might decide you want your property advert to go live on Boxing Day Keystone can take photos of your home before you put your festive decorations up and will have time to prepare the marketing of your home but if you already have your lovely decorations up – don’t panic!! We can still take photos with your tree up ( sometimes buyers like to see how beautifully festive a home can look!) and can always pop out in the new year to re take fresh photos once you decorations are put away.
3. DO THE PREP NOW, SELL WHEN YOU’RE READY
Getting your home ready to sell doesn’t need to mean viewings will start next week. It’s kind of like getting your Christmas shopping done early — a big tick off the list. You can arrange your property valuation, instruct Keystone and finalise the details of your property listing, so whenever you’re ready, you can ask Keystone to put your home on the market.
If you’re worried about having time to tidy up after Christmas, you could put your home on the market on Boxing Day, but arrange for viewings to start shortly after once you’ve had time to clear things up and make your home presentable once again. This will also give Keystone time to generate interest in your home.
4. BECOME A ‘POWER-BUYER’ SO YOU’RE IN A STRONG POSITION WHEN YOU DO FIND ‘THE ONE’
If you decide to put your home on the market before Christmas – and you’re able to secure a buyer early in the New Year – you’ll be putting yourself in a great position when you find your next home. “In the current market, it’s a real advantage to be a “power buyer”, and have already sold your current home, subject to contract, when looking for somewhere to buy. This could put you ahead if there are other offers already on the table.