Get ready for the new year now

Mon 21 Dec 2015

The rise of the internet has led to the end of the property market’s traditional Christmas slowdown – and could be set for a festive record this year.

Data last year revealed a 20 per cent increase in the number of people searching for properties between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day compared with 2012 and that is expected to grow again.

Leading Warwickshire agent, ehB Residential, which has offices in Leamington and Warwick, is predicting a busy New Year as house-hunters take to the internet during the festive season to find their dream home.

Edward Bromwich, managing director of ehB Residential, said they have witnessed a significant increase in the number of sales which started December and January over the last two years.

He said: “We are no longer experiencing the traditional festive seasonal slowdown and instead have seen a spike in the number of prospective and active purchasers.

“The Christmas season provides the perfect opportunity for family members to come together and discuss future plans with many even using their new tablets to search for potential properties.

“They might even be looking for boltholes to escape the relatives!

“This is why we are encouraging those who are thinking of selling their home to start marketing their property early, through both online platforms and the more traditional property marketing channels.

“This way they will hopefully be able to agree the sale of their property early in the New Year and be ready to take advantage of new instructions as they come on to the market.

“The figures, released by Rightmove, proved that the increase we experienced was industry wide.”

Bromwich added that South Warwickshire had enjoyed a positive property year.

“We have experienced increasing demand across the year and have noticed people waiting in readiness for properties in the most desirable areas to come on the market, allowing them to move quickly.

“This area benefits from a great location, a lovely environment and some outstanding property, which means it has recovered from the property slump faster than other regions.”