I was challenged by some of colleagues this month to justify the traditional launch of new instructions for sale on Boxing Day and whether it really was the best time to launch new properties to the market.
The answer lies in the perception of when demand returns to the housing market and when most buyers come back to focus on viewing, offering and buying a house.
The reality is that most estate agents recognise that from mid November we see clear signs that the housing market cools down and for those who don’t have any timescales they would rather focus on Christmas shopping, parties, and decorating their houses than buying them.
The traditional Yuletide “Twelve Days of Christmas” was from Christmas Day until the 6th January, when all decorations should be removed and Christmas officially ends, however commercially we begin to see Christmas enter our homes from as early as mid November (I saw my first house last week with a Christmas tree already up!) and that’s mainly because, for many, bringing in the colourful bright decorations, the sound, smell and uplifting joy of the festive period gives us cheer from those darker nights, shorter days and dreary cold weather that we are now experiencing.
The reality is that the “Boxing Day Bounce Back” is perhaps not as great as the early trade of the first week in January, when even more new buyers register and activity in estate agency lifts even more with viewings, offers and sales. However, the same analogy can be used for February or March when the trade reaches its peak activity, so it’s all about how quickly we can move on from Christmas and refocus back on selling houses.
The reality is that houses do sell in December and the reasons are:
- Less Competition:Your property is more visible and has a greater chance of attracting attention when there are fewer homes on the market.
- Motivated Buyers:The buyers you do encounter are likely to be serious and ready to move quickly, potentially leading to faster transactions.
- Online Activity Spike:People spend a lot of time browsing property portals over the Christmas and New Year period, offering an excellent opportunity for online exposure.
- “Cosy” Appeal:The winter season allows you to showcase your home as a warm, inviting, and cosy space, which can boost its emotional appeal to potential buyers (using tasteful decorations).
Some disadvantages are that many surveyors and solicitors will be closed over Christmas & New Year, so it’s not easy to progress a sale, but you can certainly identify where you want to buy, view and offer.
When we return to work in January, our decorations will be down and we will be helping our clients with their second viewings, negotiating their final offers and preparing the memorandum of sales for those newly launched homes on Boxing Day.
Our offices are open on the 27th, 29th and 30th December and our teams will be keen to register your interest in moving, as well as showcasing our new instructions of homes where our clients want to sell as soon as possible in the New Year.
Buyers who have received a new phone, tablet or laptop over Christmas, and those who want to move in the New Year or spend next Christmas in a new home, will be looking to make viewings on Boxing Day onwards and that’s why here at Sanderson Young we will be ready and willing to market your home with fresh vigour, new hopes and clear aspirations from lots of new buyers registering with us.
Ultimately, the decision to sell in December depends on your personal circumstances and readiness to manage the process during a busy time of year. However, don’t let those less proactive agents, who close from the 23rd of December till the 5th January, persuade you that it isn’t worth launching till the New Year as that’s clearly not true.
If we can assist you in the launch of your home on Boxing Day, please do not hesitate to call us on 0191 213 0033 so you can beat the rush and take the lead in preparing to launch your home for sale.
Let 2026 be your time to move.
Let 2026 be your time for a fresh start.
Let 2026 come early for you on Boxing Day 2025 and give us a call so we can prepare your “head start.”
Chairman
SANDERSON YOUNG