The good news is that if you want to sell your home before Christmas, there is still time – just.
According to a recent study from estate agent comparison website, estateagent4me, prospective home-sellers will need to have their property on the market by Monday 21st October in order to sell their home before Christmas.
The data revealed the time it takes to sell a residential property, with those listed in the late autumn generally proving slower to shift. Over the past four years, homes listed in October have taken an average of 61 days to sell. This means that homeowners who want a sale agreed this side of Christmas should be looking to list their house for sale by Monday 21st October at the latest.
On average since 2015, properties in the UK have stayed on the market for 51 to 70 days. Despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit negotiations, the data shows the average length of time to sell a property has remained relatively constant over the past 4 years. Overall the speed of sale was slower in 2018 than in 2017, but was similar to 2016 and 2015 levels.
The New Year remains the best time to list your property for a speedy sale, with homes listed in January selling the fastest.
Paula Higgins, Chief Executive of HomeOwners Alliance, said: “If you’ve been waiting for certainty over Brexit before putting your home on the market to sell this year – unfortunately, time has run out. Deadline day for advertising your home if you want to sell before Christmas is 21 October. So it’s time to get a move on.
The first step is to find the best performing estate agent in your area – and a good starting point is estateagent4me, which ranks local agents by how rapidly they sell and how often they secure the asking price."
The HomeOwners Alliance shares their top tips for selling before Christmas:
1: Boost your home’s kerb appeal. Our recent survey found that 68% of buyers found kerb appeal to be important. The features that matter most to home buyers are windows being in good condition and a roof that doesn't need repair.
2: Make sure the price is right. Too high and you won't get any viewings, too low and you'll miss out on getting what your house is worth. You can check what houses in your area sold for using the Land Registry site http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ppd/
3: Get your house ready for sale. As Brexit uncertainty hits an all-time high, only the best houses will sell. Make sure yours is looking top-notch. As the winter months approach, make sure your home does not look too dark – it is vital to let in light with lamps, candles and mirrors.
4: Set up your solicitor. Instruct a conveyancing solicitor early and start pulling paperwork together now if you want to secure a quick sale.
5: Optimise your viewings - let your estate agent take the lead and tackle any tricky questions, but listen in to make sure they're putting your house in its best light. And do a final clean before any prospective buyers arrive.
6: Choose the right buyer - you're ideally looking for a chain free buyer who has evidence that they have their finances in place and will move quickly in organising a survey and a solicitor.
