Written on 11 October 2021 by Courtney Manton in Property News
Now the final phase of the stamp duty holiday has ended, there’s another deadline looming for house hunters – Christmas.
Who knows what sort of Christmas the UK is facing this year, with another lockdown, turkey shortages and empty shelves possibly looming. But if you’d like to spend the festive season in a new place, you still have time to make it happen, according to commentators.
When you’re moving, you can never guarantee that things will fall into place, especially if you’re part of a chain. But there are things you can do to speed it all up. According Jacqui Harley, head of residential conveyancing at JMP Solicitors: “We predict we’ll continue to see a large influx of people buying and selling as buyers wish to benefit from the lowest mortgage rates we’ve seen in some time. If you want to move before Christmas you’ll need to act quickly, but it’s still certainly achievable.”
Here are five things you can do to help make it go smoothly.
1. Stage your home for a quick sale
Start decluttering and sprucing up your property as soon as possible, to get it buyer-ready. Give it a deep clean, a coat of paint, and remove any unnecessary items. Then give it a realistic price tag for the best chance of a speedy offer.
2. Choose the right agent
Get at least three valuations but don’t go on asking price and fees alone. You need the choose the agent who you’re confident will work hard on your behalf to keep things moving. Get personal recommendations and ask plenty of questions about their approach and sales strategy.
3. Book your survey asap
Once you’ve found your dream home, don’t waste time. You need to have the appropriate survey carried out quickly so you can progress to the next stage – and find out if there are any issues that require renegotiation.
4. Be realistic
We are still living in unusual times, when your transaction can be thrown by a positive Covid test somewhere along the chain. You can’t change that but do everything in your power to keep things moving swiftly by responding to your solicitor’s queries and having all your paperwork in order. Let everyone know about your aspiration to be in by Christmas, so they’re aware of your deadline.
5. Book your movers in time
Removals companies have been in high demand during the housing boom, so do your research into firms and decide on the level of service you need early on. Book them as soon as you can and keep in touch in case dates change.
Read more about this story on the Property Wire website.
