If you are planning to move home in the new year, put the wheels in motion now and take advantage of the upturn in buyers over the festive period.
“With Christmas fast approaching, moving home is likely to be at the back of most people’s minds. However, if you dream of being in a new home in the new year, you should think about starting the process now, as the period over Christmas and into the new year is one of our busiest times,” says Michelle Niziol, Chief Executive, IMS Property Group.
By contacting an estate agent now, the agent can prepare your property for the market by taking photographs, producing the property brochure, arranging the online marketing and speaking to buyers they think might be interested in your property, so that come mid-December the estate agent can press the go button.
It isn’t just IMS Property Group that sees an upturn in activity over the Christmas period but the UK’s largest property portal, Rightmove. It typically sees more than 500,000 visits to its website on Christmas day, more than one million on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and more than two million on the first working day of the year.
If you still aren’t convinced that the new year is a good time to move into a new home, researchers based at the University of Bath have found that moving home can also help you stick to new year resolutions. According to research, habits can be changed when you change the factors around the habit, such as location and context.
“To be in a good position to move in the new year, you also need to consider how you are going to finance your new home and the move. If you require a mortgage it is best to see a mortgage broker as soon as you know you want to move. Like our in-house mortgage consultant, they will go through your finances, work out how much you can afford to borrow and can arrange an agreement in principle with a lender. This will also give you a better idea about the price range you can search within,” says Michelle Niziol.
If you are thinking of buying or selling a property and want further information about the local housing market or would like to arrange a market appraisal, contact us on 01869 248339 or email sales@imsinternet.co.uk
