Selling Your Home Before The Holiday Season

. by James Laurence Estate Agents

Reading time: 3 Minutes

“We’d like to be in by Christmas.”

It’s what everyone wants, isn’t it? Whether you’re buying or selling a home, being settled in your new place before the end of the calendar year is far preferable to spending a holiday season surrounded by boxes or, even worse, not knowing whether or not your offer on that dream home is even going to be accepted, let alone getting the keys.

But with just over two months left in 2021, is it too late to put your house on the market and be settled in time to put up the tree?

At James Laurence we don’t think so. The market is moving incredibly fast in Birmingham and the surrounding areas – in fact, demand is so high that many agents, ourselves included, are finding it tough to keep enough properties on the books. We’d like to think, of course, that this is partly down to our fantastic selling expertise, but it’s also symptomatic of the enormous demand for homes across the board.

So how long will it take to sell your home? With a variety of factors to consider, there are never any guarantees, but a recent survey by Statista found that it takes 39 days, on average, to sell a home in the West Midlands. In comparison, homes in London take an average of 57 days to sell, the slowest of all the markets surveyed. This just goes to show how the property market outside the capital is booming. And, with 63 days until Christmas (we know, we know), it seems as though there is definitely time to make a quick sale.

 

If you’ve decided you really would like to put the fairy lights up somewhere new this year, what can you do to make your property sell as quickly as possible?

On your marks, get set. It’s time to get your home ready for sale. Fresh paint, deep cleaning, completing minor repairs, decluttering and, if possible, decorating for the season are all ways to make your home as appealing as possible to buyers. If you’d like more tips, check out our previous blog on how to stage your home to its best advantage. (LINK TO BLOG POST HERE: https://jameslaurenceuk.com/selling-your-property/tips-for-dressing-your-home-in-preparation-for-sale/)

Start Shuffling Papers. No, not that pile of correspondence you keep on the kitchen counter, (although it is a good idea to clear it away before a viewing). We’re talking about the part of the selling process that can take the longest: conveyancing. Making or accepting an offer to buy a home can take mere minutes, but conveyancing is where the process can really slow down. Solicitors dragging their feet, unusual covenants, the complexity of land and title searches, last minute changes – it all adds to the amount of time it takes for a sale to go through. So, if you’re serious about selling your house and achieving a quick sale, speak with a solicitor now, and start pulling the paperwork together.

Get in the Game… by choosing a good real estate agent. There are a few different ways you can find the agent who is best suited to you, the one with local knowledge and, hopefully, a pool of potential buyers all looking for a property like yours. Check reviews, ask friends and family for recommendations, canvas your neighbours. May we suggest, too, as you’re already here reading this blog, that you might like to give us a call.

Play It Right. Once you’ve found that fantastic agent, let them do the work for you. We’re here to advise you through every aspect of your sale, from staging and marketing to negotiating offers, as well as how to secure the best price for your property. After all, it’s what we do.

Seal the Deal. Making a decision when you’ve had more than one offer can be tricky, especially if you’re holding out hope for more. Everyone wants to get the best price for your place, but for a quick sale you might be better to go with the buyer who is best situated to move quickly, with finance in place and, preferably, chain free. That way, you can be sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace in your new home for the holiday season, rather than waiting around in your old one.

 

And there you have it. A fast-moving property market, plus estate agent savvy and some good old-fashioned hard work means that, if you list your home now, you could very well be ringing in the New Year in a new place of your own. Contact us today if you’re interested in listing your property, and see what we can do for you.

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The people we've helped

  • 5 star review  We recently switched from another letting agency to James Laurence, as we found their team so warm and friendly and loved the local aspect of the agency. The team have absolutely exceeded our expectations, making the changeover feel so seamless and finding new tenants for our apartment at really short notice. Lotti could not have been more wonderful to work with, going completely above and beyond to ensure our tenants could move in just before Christmas. We felt an immediate affinity with her and have so appreciated her attention to detail, quick thinking and creativity. She has made us feel so at ease, supported and like our property is in the safest of hands. Charlotte and Melissa have also been so helpful and lovely to deal with during the process. Having worked with several other agencies in Birmingham, I cannot recommend James Laurence highly enough. Look no further, they are the best!

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    12/28/2022

  • 5 star review  The team at James Laurence was very helpful when I tried to find an apartment in Birmingham. I was in contact with a different letting agency but things fell through and they couldn't help me. A colleague of mine recommended James Laurence Lettings so I emailed them immediately since I was was moving from Sweden and the move would take place in less than a week. The team at James Laurence responded within 5 minutes and managed to offer me a few different apartment-options. Things proceeded quickly and smoothly and just a few days later I had they keys to the apartment. James Laurence helped me every step of the way and went above and beyond to accommodate my requests. The only minor negative thing I can say is that the interntal communication could be improved a tiny bit. I received slightly different information depending on who I was speaking with at the time. When I said I received different information earlier the person I spoke to said she would talk to her colleagues and then get in contact with me later with the "correct" information which she did and the issue got solved very quick.

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    10/15/2022

  • 5 star review  Our experience with James Laurence Estate Agents was absolutely fantastic! Melissa Wilson made the application and referencing process smooth and easy with excellent communication. Everyone we spoke with from the office was kind, helpful, and welcoming. To top it all off, the loft we moved into was even better than the pictures! We are thrilled with our new home and we would absolutely recommend James Laurence to anyone looking for a place to live!

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    10/02/2022

  • 5 star review  I have been very impressed with James Laurence, who have recently sold my property. Having previously had a poor experience with Purple Bricks, I instructed James Laurence to help sell my property. I have worked with Henry throughout the whole process and have found him to be very professional and knowledgeable as well as being efficient. It can't be stressed enough how important this is to have an estate agent that responds quickly, negotiates well and truly understands the market (especially during uncertain times like recently with the cover pandemic). I have briefly worked with Caroline and some of the other team members who also seem to be very efficient and friendly. Thanks again to James Laurence who I would fully recommend to anyone looking to Buy/Sell in Birmingham.

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    6/16/2022

  • 5 star review  I recently sold my property with James Laurence, and the overall experience was great. They demonstrated a good knowledge of the Birmingham property market when discussing sales strategy, marketing and pricing (more than I was expecting) towards the beginning of my experience with them. This showed when we achieved 2 asking price offers within the first couple days of showings. Once an offer was accepted, their support did not stop there, Caroline (Sales Progression) did a fantastic job at liaising between myself and the buyers side, helping to progress items and remove any potential blockers. I would fully recommend James Laurence to anyone looking to Buy/Sell in Birmingham.

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    5/20/2022