Great buying at Christmas – but don’t delay

If you’ve been searching without success for your new home, good news may be just around the corner. That’s because the Christmas and New Year holiday period is an excellent time to buy.

Most buyers leave the market when summer holidays beckon, leaving only the serious players to seek out the best deals.

If you find your dream home, it’s unlikely that you’ll compete against multiple bidders because most of them will be on the beach. 

As experienced local agents, we are confident you’ll achieve your goal if you know what you want and have conducted research to understand the price trends in your target neighbourhoods.

We’ve made a list of Christmas buying tips, and we hope you find them helpful. 

Do your homework

Continue to research the local market to understand price trends for the style of property you’re targeting and to understand how the Christmas market is affecting prices. 

Uncover motivation

Asking a seller why they’re selling is not unreasonable. The answer will give you intel on whether they need a quick deal or can hold out until after the holidays. If they’ve got a new job, or the sale is due to a divorce, or they’ve bought a new place themselves and want it all done and dusted, you’ll know the clock is ticking and that can be good news for buyers. 

Keep cards close

The seller or agent will likely ask you a similar question, but be careful what you reveal. If or how you respond will give them clues about how to negotiate with you. Don’t fob them off with “just looking”. No one does that with Christmas looming.

Move quickly

Be ready with your cash. Deals get done quickly at Christmas as buyers and sellers want to move on with their lives. If someone else has also expressed an interest, you’ll need to be swift. 

Be realistic

Don’t make a low bid because you think the market is dead. You risk insulting the seller and their agent, and nothing will cut you out of a deal quicker than that. But don’t go with your highest bid first. Leave some headroom for negotiation.