Traditionally this time of year has always been a ‘no-no’ when it comes to buying or selling houses; with Christmas and New Year around the corner everyone is focused on shopping, taking a break, spending time with family and friends, and partying, right?

To a certain degree, this is correct, but this season also presents some great opportunities for those wanting to sell their property.

Pros of the Christmas period

• Take advantage of the time off

The Christmas holidays are the perfect opportunity to do those renovations, spruce up the garden and prepare your house for sale for when the market picks up in January.

• Motivated buyers

Motivated buyers will be looking for property whatever the season, and the holiday is giving them more time to do their searches.

• Less competition

At this time of year, there are generally fewer houses on the market – meaning there is less competition and your property is more likely to be noticed by genuinely interested buyers.

• ‘tis the season to be jolly

In this cycle of low supply and high demand, for a buyer who is keen to move early in the New Year, there could be a chance they’ll put in a higher offer to secure the deal.

Cons of the Christmas period

• Longer completion times

Financial and legal specialists take time off too and like everyone else, they often take a few extra days off to take advantage of the public holidays. In addition, with many people keen to complete before Christmas, there is often an influx of mortgage applications. You need to bear this in mind when you’re looking at completion dates.

• Extra clutter

Seasonal as they are, Christmas decorations add to the clutter of a house; try to keep them to a minimum if you’re thinking about having a viewing.

• Additional stress

This season is hectic at the best of times, so adding a house sale into the mix may increase the pressure – make sure you’re ready for it!

• Buyers looking to bag a bargain

While some buyers need to move and may put in higher offers to secure their new home, others maybe keen to take advantage of those who need/want to move early in the New Year; you may need to prepare yourself for some hard bargaining.

There are pros and cons to selling a property any time of the year – the secret to getting a good price is capitalising on the opportunities each season offers.

As one of Newcastle’s longest established real estate offices, this is something our experienced team is good at. We know property, we know the market, and we are honest with our clients.

Whether it is from an investment or homeowner’s point of view, we’re always looking at innovative ways to help you get the best from your asset and realise your property dreams.

Drop into the Cardiff office or give us a call on 02 4954 8833. Or send us an email to: mail@apnewcastle.com.au – we’d love to hear from you.

And don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for handy tips on selling your property or what to look for when buying a property.