4 Ways to Prepare for the January Property Market
The start of the year is always a good time to buy and sell property. Over Christmas people tend to re-evaluate their lives generally and start thinking about making changes for next year. Boxing Day in particular seems to be the turning point. The online property portal Rightmove recorded its busiest ever Boxing Day last year for visits to the site and app.
If you’re thinking of selling your property, here are 4 ways to prepare for the property market in January.
1. Get your property on the market early in December.
If you have a property to sell, you should book in a valuation and get your property on the market as soon as you can, so your property is seen by the eager buyers that will be sitting browsing the online portals over Christmas and into the new year.
Last year sellers jumped into action on 30th December. Rightmove recorded its busiest day that year for sellers requesting valuations from agents. But if you request a valuation after 25th December, you’ve already missed out on all the buyers that are browsing properties over the Christmas period.
Want to get your property on the market?
Click here to arrange a free valuation.
2. Choose a top performing estate agent.
Put your property on the market with a qualified agent who will add value. Today is not a market for someone who is going to coast, so do your research and list with a top performing agent.
Here are some things your agent should do:
- Work weekends and open late in the evenings to ensure you get the best result.
- Feature your property on ALL the main online portals; Rightmove, Zoopla, On The Market and Primelocation. Not just one or two.
- Feature your property on their website and have the ability to receive offers 24 hours a day.
- Use professional photographers that can turn photos around quickly, whilst making sure your property is seen in the best possible light.
Choosing an estate agent that is well networked means your property gets exposed to more buyers in the market. This is something to bear in mind when choosing an agent to list with.
3. Instruct your lawyer.
As soon as you decide to sell your home and it’s listed with an agent, you should instruct your conveyancing solicitor. The sooner you can start the process and pull the paperwork together, the quicker the sale will be.
4. Get your house ready for a sale.
Get things ship shape. Anything that might come up in a survey that could delay a move should be fixed as soon as possible. Energy efficiency is a hot topic at the moment, and these types of improvements will become more of a selling point.
To help you through each step of the sales process, we’ve compiled our top tips for selling your property in a handy guide. Download it. Keep hold of it. Refer back to it. And please don’t hesitate to ask if you need help or advice.
Download here.
Want to get your property on the market?
Click here to arrange a free valuation.