Q. I have finally decided to sell up but wondering whether or not I should place my property on the market this close to Christmas, or should I now wait until the New Year?
A. Notoriously, this time of year is the quietest for estate agency, although having said that the last couple of years have been surprisingly busy, with this year certainly being the busiest I have ever seen in all my years in the business. However, since most agencies tend to close down over the Christmas and New Year period along with solicitors, it’s generally speaking probably not the best time to bring a brand new instruction to the market. Placed on the market now it will hang around on the property websites all over Christmas and new year so by the time we return in January it will have been on the market for a couple of weeks without actually benefiting from any constructive action with regards to viewings being carried out. The danger is that the property can lose its momentum particularly in a market as it is right now where most property is sold within the first couple of days after hitting the market. I would however, suggest appointing an agent now, they can then arrange for their photographer to come in to take photographs and floor plans for the marketing material. That way as soon as we hit 2007 your property can be placed on the market with immediate effect, therefore benefiting from the fresh batch of buyers that the New Year promises to bring!