While there is no exact science when it comes to selling a property, especially in London and the South East of England, it is easy to see why many people look for guidance on when to take action. Most people will take the average figures and data for property moves and this will impact on the action that they take with respect to selling their homes. This is understandable because the only information you can use is previous examples and historical data, making this a sensible way to factor in your own plans. Of course, there are one million and one things that can change when it comes to selling property, so there is no exact science, but if you are keen to sell your home before the Christmas period begins, there is a date you should look to have your home on the market by.
You may not want to think about Christmas during the summer months but if you know you are selling your home and you want to have the best possible festive season, it makes sense to be out of your home and into your new property. This means that everything needs to be concluded in good time, and as you would expect, the average lead times around the United Kingdom make for interesting reading.
The average date for UK property owners to sell their home to be moved out for the Christmas market is the 28th of September. This is down to the fact that the average time taken for a property to have a bid accepted, from the first day it was placed on the market, is 88 days. This means that it is close to three months for a property to be placed on the market for the deal to be concluded.
London skews the UK average as expected
What you have to remember about this is that it is the average and you may find the average is skewed by certain parts of the country, notably London. If you are based in the Greater London area and you are looking to sell your home in time for the festive period, there is no rush. In fact, you can put off your planning for a good while because you don’t need to think about having your property placed on the market until the 12th of September if things go to plan and you sell up within the average timescale.
Of course, this isn’t the same for everyone and if you are based in the North East of England and are yet to place your home on the market, you may find that your festive fun is slightly limited this year. This is because the last date for the average length of time in this region fell on August the 9th, a date which has already passed! If you are based in Wales, you still have a bit more time to get to work because the date for your diary is the 18th of August. You may be lucky and have a sale concluded after this date but it really is down to luck at times.
Then again, having a good quality home that has been properly examined by professional surveyors can help you to feel luckier. There is no doubt that hiring the services of a reliable company will give you every chance of selling your home in no time at all. There is clearly a high level of demand for London properties but if you are keen to maximise the value of your home, and to provide potential buyers with the highest level of confidence, you will want to make sure that you choose surveyors in London that can meet all of your needs.
There is a lot of work to get through when it comes to selling property and it is not likely that someone will leave it to the last possible date if they are intent on selling their property by a specific date. However, if there is an opportunity for people to conclude their business in time for a certain date, such as the Christmas period, keeping an eye on the average time it takes for a property deal to be concluded in their area is always going to be the best place to start. London properties are in high demand, which means that the lead time before a deal is formally concluded can be short, but you should never leave things until the last minute.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 8 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.