What the ‘Boxing Day bounce’ can mean for home-sellers

If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, December is a great time to get your listing ready. A huge number of would-be buyers view homes for sale on Rightmove over the festive season, and people tend to set up home viewings in the first weeks of January.

Tim, property expert from Rightmove, says: “There’s always a big post-Christmas upturn in Rightmove traffic, with early bird-buyers starting their search on Boxing Day. This year’s upturn will be eagerly anticipated by those who are keen to sell, especially family movers who are considering having an estate agent board put up as the Christmas tree comes down.

Rightmove research, along with feedback from estate agents, suggests that the best strategy to sell in the current market is to price temptingly at the outset of marketing, rather than testing the waters with a higher price. This will hopefully avoid the need to reduce the asking price later, and capture that early-bird buyer’s interest in the New Year, whilst also avoiding the stress of drawing out the selling process and risking having the for-sale board still up at Easter.