21st AUGUST 2018

Do you want to increase your odds and beat the average timescales? Act now to be more pro-active than other sellers.

There is now only 18 weeks left until Christmas which is a scary thought since we are still in August but a lot of home-movers want to move in by the traditional Christmas deadline. Therefore, they need to act now.

We say on average it takes 8-12 weeks from agreeing a sale to moving in so prospective buyers should be active in the market now and should ensure they have all necessary finances in place.

For new-to-the-market sellers, finding a buyer adds an average of eight weeks so they will need to find a buyer quicker than the average if they want to move in before Christmas.

So, if you’re thinking about putting up the tree in your next home, what can you do to get moving now so that you’re eating your turkey in your new abode? And actually, is it even possible? Answer is, if you’re prepared to focus on paperwork, be sensible about your pricing and get organised, yes, it is.

If you’re selling, it’s best to get your legal documents in order as soon as you put your property on the market. It can sometimes take up to a month for your solicitor to finalise your sales pack which is the crucial set of documents that will be sent to your buyer’s solicitor so that they can start the purchase process. So rather than waiting until you have had an offer agreed on your property, it will help to instruct a solicitor at the same time as your estate agent.

When instructing your estate agent, make it clear to them you want to complete before Christmas. Ask them to advise you on what sort of price you’d need accept in order to get an offer by mid-October, which realistically is your deadline if you want to exchange and complete by Friday December 22, the last working day before Christmas.

As soon as you exchange, book your removal company or, if you’re going DIY, your van hire. It’s a busy time of year as a lot of people take advantage of the long break to get in and get settled, which means that you need to get in quickly to make sure you can secure the dates that you need. Get sorting and packing as soon as you can to make sure that you’re ready as soon as you exchange to set the quickest completion date possible.

So, the clock is ticking. You’ve got 126 days until December 25. Good luck!