Move to borehamwood before christmas

Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2022

What legal delays mean for home sellers in AREA looking to move by Christmas

Yes, we did mention Christmas in mid-July, but trust us folks, there’s a serious reason for it.

Being in a new property in time for the festive season is often a key goal for home sellers and movers.

Pre-pandemic, if you wanted to be settled in by December 25th, you’d need to get your home on the market in early September.

This considered the average time a property took to sell and allowed for the legal process of selling and buying a home.

But as reported last week in the national press, the post-pandemic delay in conveyancing (the legal side of the home selling process) means people must plan further ahead.

According to the reports an average of 133 days is now a typical timeframe from an offer being accepted to a sale being completed.

And that’s why we’re recommending that if you want to be in by Christmas, you’ll need to be on the market in July or early August. 

Below we’ve shared three ways of giving yourself the best possible chance of getting a new place to call home before Christmas. 

  1. Get Local. Get valuations of your home from local estate agents, BUT just as crucially, ask those who come around to tell you their plan for selling your home for the best possible price.

  2. Get Legal. Considering the delays home sellers are experiencing, there’s never been a more important time to pick a good conveyancing solicitor. Go with recommendations, and remember, just like estate agents, cheap solicitors can be more expensive in the long run. 

  3. Get Ready. Hit the ground running when you’ve decided which agent is best placed to sell your home by having all those little maintenance jobs you’ve been putting off sorted. Also, spend a couple of hours gathering up and organising all your warranties, guarantees and any other property-related paperwork  

Call us today to find out how we’d make your Christmas wish list a reality. 020 8905 2255