10 easy tips to sell your home at Christmas are simple and straight forward but can make maximum impact. If you have read my Should my property be for sale at Christmas? blog you will know I strongly recommend your property being for sale over the festive period.
The festive period between Christmas & New Year is an amazing time to have your home for sale and you must capitalise on the opportunities it brings. Here are my 10 easy tips to sell your home at Christmas.
#1 Christmas marketing tip
Your home is going to be looking all festive and pretty during the Christmas period. Now is a chance to switch up the marketing. Why don’t you ask your agent to take some photos of the house looking festive. This could be the front door with the fresh wreath hanging. Or the roaring fire in the sitting room with the Christmas tree. It could also be something small like setting the table for Christmas lunch and taking a photo. The new photos of your home could be used by your agent for new content on social media to highlight your property.
#2 Social Media for your home
The Christmas period is a particularly great time of year to take advantage of increased social media traffic which will greatly help sell your home at christmas. Whether you share your estate agents festive content of your property, or you create your own post make sure you cover social media. Ensure you include the link to your property on the agents website. Then people can easily find more information and know how to contact you or your agent. Get your friends and family to also share!
#3 For sale board tip
I’m a lover of for sale boards. They are big, bright and bold ensuring they catch peoples attention. Lots of families and friends enjoy winter walks during the festive period so they can indulge in a little mulled wine. Whether they are walking to the local park, walking to a friends house or just grabbing some fresh air, they could walk passed your house! Make sure your for sale board is straight, clean and in the best position it can be.
#4 Put the Christmas tree up
Some people choose not to put a Christmas tree up when they are selling their home during Christmas. They say it creates a ‘cluttered’ feel and wish to avoid this when people are viewing. My advice is the opposite and this is an easy tip to sell your home at Christmas. Get the big tree up in the front window. Make the property look homely, festive and inviting. Nothing feels more homely than a home decorated for Christmas, and I have no doubt it will give your viewers all the festive feels.
#5 Talk to people about your home
The festive period brings people together. Friends, families, loved ones and strangers. This is a time to talk to people and catch up. Spread the word that your property is for sale. They may then mention it to their friends and loved ones too and you never know who may be looking to move home!
#6 Move on up
Rightmove recorded their busiest ever festive period for online traffic during Boxing Day 2021 to New Years Day 2022. Rightmove also claim their Boxing Day 2021 was their busiest ever Boxing Day for traffic to its site & apps. So lets try and make the most of this increased traffic making it a great time to sell your home at christmas.
Rightmove Premium is an upgrade Rightmove offer which enhances your properties listing with a bigger advert, more images and bigger images, amongst other things. Rightmove Featured property upgrade means you land at the top of the search results page, along with your standard listing means you get double display! If the traffic for Rightmove is at a maximum during the festive period then now is the time to capitalise.
Will this cost me?
Both these upgraded will likely cost you money and you are best to speak with your agent. We often offer these upgrades free to our clients, as we are provided with a handful of free ‘credits’ on occasions. I actually don’t think we have ever charged a client for this upgrade.
#7 Do the price change
If you have been considering changing your asking price, a great tip is to change it for the festive period. With the increased traffic to property web portals, additional social media activity & a New Year round the corner, we would say there is not time like the present. Change that price and hit the market hard. This means your estate agent will also contact buyers on their mailing list with the new asking price so new buyers hopefully come forward.
#8 Tip to do the viewings at Christmas
Its the holidays and the house is a little crazy. Your estate agent calls and there is a buyer wanting to view the house! Your probably thinking that you just cannot be bothered to try and sell your home at christmas. It will mean tidying the house, shipping out the kids and taking off the slippers! It’s really easy to tell your estate agent that your not up to viewings over the festive period and to re-arrange it for the New Year.
My tip is to fully commit to the viewing, Say Yes & make the effort. You do not want the ship to sail past and these buyers really could be the people who want to buy your home. If they can’t view yours, then they will view another house so you have to show your committed to sell your property. Try and keep the house reasonably tidy throughout the festivities just in case you do get that phone call.
#9 Timing of viewing to help sell
Try to arrange your viewings in the daylight. The nights can draw in as early as 3pm up here in Scotland. If its dark your viewers don’t get the true experience of the property, especially if there are garden grounds to explore. Also keep an eye on weather reports. Try and pick a cold, yet bright, winter day full of blue skies and crispy underfoot. A dark, wet day is not ideal for viewings at the best of times, let alone in the depth of December.
#10 First Impressions at Christmas
They say there is only one chance at a first impression and this is very true! During the festive period there will be snow, ice, fallen leaves and slippy paths. You will have to work that little harder to make sure the outside first impressions of your home are good! Have a supply of salt or sand for the front path or driveway and sweep up the leaves. This is a very practical and easy tip to sell your home at Christmas and makes it easier for buyers.
Make a festive Christmas wreath for the front door to add some festive charm. These can be very inexpensive to make and look lovely and homely. A really easy tip for your home at Christmas.
These 10 easy tips to sell your home at Christmas are fairly straight forward and should really help make a difference. If you are worried about your home being on the market over the festivities read Should my property be for sale over Christmas?