Hitting the sales... for a house?

Surely now isn’t the time to think about buying a property when there’s so much else to do? Well, it would seem possibly it is.

According to Rightmove, the festive period traditionally sees a huge spike in site visits, with over a million visits to the site on Christmas Day, and nearly three million on the first working day in January.

This could be down to Christmas being a perfect time to get all the family together to discuss in detail any plans you have for moving, and get some input from everyone on what exactly they are looking for in their dream home – and maybe in January everyone is filled with a renewed sense of vigour to start the new year as they mean to go on, and the first day back in the office gives them the drive they need to get the search underway properly!

Whatever the reason, it is important to capitalise on this boom in buyers if you’re looking to sell your property. Whilst many people choose to wait until spring, if the buyers are out there in December, why not offer them a solution when they want it?

There are a few tricks to making sure your property stands out amongst all the festivities though:

• Plan your pics: If you are taking photos at this time of year, try not to include too many Christmas decorations. Whilst your tree will look beautiful in December, it might look a little sad in January! Also, bear in mind that too many decorations can make your rooms look smaller – something that you want to avoid when marketing your home to prospective buyers!
• Organise your diary: If you’re listing your home on Christmas Eve, you may be receive viewing requests from eager potential buyers who are available to view over the holiday period. It’s always a good idea to be as accommodating as possible, but if you’re planning a huge New Year’s Eve party, it’s probably not advisable to book a viewing for New Year’s Day – you home possibly won’t be looking it’s best!
• Be patient: Many people may choose to scanning Rightmove or Zoopla on Christmas Day, but that doesn’t mean that they will be booking a viewing on the day after Boxing Day. It’s a hectic time of year, so don’t worry too much if there’s not an immediate influx of requests to view your property!

If you upload your property between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve with urban.co.uk, you’ll receive 15% off the price of listing your property – just email info@urban.co.uk for the code.

Why not start 2016 as you mean to go on - list your property on over 400 sites, capitalise on the Christmas rush and save before you even start. That’s the urban.co.uk way!