I know it’s early. The decorations aren’t in store but already I can feel the pressure starting to build. The looming deadline that is Christmas.
No matter your religious beliefs Christmas has come to represent the date when everything must be done: at work, in life and definitely in property – just ask any builder!
The unspoken aim is to either buy or sell and settle ‘before Christmas’. The more ambitious will be hoping to do both.
It’s a deadline that may well have been set back in January with a view that twelve months makes it easily achievable. But inevitably life and the quest for the perfect property slows the process.
So here we are nearly in October and from now on conversations become punctuated with the statement that ‘Christmas is just around the corner’. It’s a great motivator – now is the time to get moving if there is to be any hope of moving in time for Santa.
In my view now is a great time to be more focussed whether you are buying or selling. The Spring market is buoyant, there is a good selection of property available and for the reasons I’ve just explained I anticipate demand to continue to grow.
My advice to clients is to give us a call right now if you are thinking of selling or in the market to buy. With 12 weeks left until Christmas the timeline is still realistic to achieve a sale or a purchase before the 25th December.
But deadlines can be dangerous and it is important to realise that Christmas no longer marks the shutdown of the market for what was the traditional January holiday period.
Over the last couple of years our team has been as busy in January as every other month so while now is a good time to list there is no need to panic for a pre-Christmas settlement. It is more important to make the right decision on the right property for the right price than to put yourself under unnecessary pressure.
But don’t panic. Life, and indeed the property market and our team, will still be here ready to work for you after Santa has delivered his gifts for another year.