Clé France

With the Christmas approaching, sellers often wonder if they should keep their properties on the market or take them off? Or if they haven't put the property on the market yet, should they wait until the New Year? maybe hold off until spring? - when is a good time to sell?

It used to be that you shouldn't even try to sell your home during the winter especially around Christmas. Potential homebuyers were too busy attending parties, cooking meals, buying presents or planning the festivities, there just isn't enough time to drive around looking at properties.

But the INTERNET, Smart-phones, iPads and Tablets are all part of this new "always-on" lifestyle, the old thinking isn't relevant anymore. The reality is - the home-buying / property-hunting season is now all year round.

Here are 3 reasons why you should consider listing your home for sale during the festive season, or even in January.

1. Today's buyers never stop looking online: Serious buyers are always looking and Christmas is no exception. Checking the latest listings on a mobile app before bed or while waiting in a queue or on the train to work, people don't shift into holiday mode until the last minute. Even during the holiday break we get many enquiries, Boxing day is one of our busiest days for new enquiries!

2. Property available (if you are selling this is your competition) is less, despite the above many sellers still believe buyers can't be bothered to look for a home around December, January and February. Sellers who have had their homes on the market often take them off during this period. The net effect is that a good stock of houses often reduces this time of year, less competition for sellers, at a time when motivated buyers are out there looking is the perfect combination for a sale!

3. Real 'ready to buy' property hunters are looking to view property regardless of what time of year it is.

Your Property not selling?

Now is the time to lower the price or change your strategy - If your property has been on the market for months, most buyers will see it as stale or overpriced and disregard it even if the competition is sparse. It is a good time to take action. Reducing the price might be what's needed to sell your home. A 'Reduction' flag on your listing attracts attention, we see these listings get up to around 30% more 'hits' than the week before.

If you received lower offers early on but were not ready to accept them, or you keep getting the same feedback, this is a good time to show everyone that you are listening and are serious about selling.

But before you make any big changes, talk it over with us.

Don't want to be bothered during the festive season?

Then list your property in January: the thought of keeping the house clean, going out to accommodate last-minute viewings can be a hassle. If so, consider listing your property after New Year's Day but talk to us now so we can get things organised so you can... hit the floor running!

It may be cold in most places in January, the leaves are off the trees and landscaping is dead. Many sellers wait until the spring instead, a more conventional time to sell BUT we know that 'serious' buyers like to see property and areas where they plan to live in at the worst time of year! why? well they figure that if they like it on a cold, wet and miserable January day then it must be paradise in July with the sun beating down!

Some buyers are also motivated to search for a home in January because of year-end tax planning.

Whatever the buyers' motivation, for sellers it means one thing: Demand for homes can increase at a time when property stock is traditionally low and that means if you're ready to sell, you'll have an even more "captive" audience during the changeover from one year to the next and all the way through January than at any other time of the year.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.