Christmas is coming – but you still have time!

We are now into October, all of the main footy codes have finished for the year and the days are starting to grow longer.  School will be finishing for the year very soon and thoughts start to turn to next year, 2023.

That means that we are a little over 2 months away from Christmas.

Often we start to receive messages about having to sell before Christmas and wanting to be into the new property for the big family celebrations at this time of year.

Have no fear, you may be cutting it fine, but you are not too late.

If you are truly committed to selling you actually still have around 10 weeks until a settlement is required.  This is enough time in the current market.  Especially with well-presented properties (your Hicks Real Estate agent can advise how to make this happen).  Buyers may be taking a little longer to check out everything on the market but prices are still great across all of our suburbs.

Sales Timeline:

Starting point:               List your property with your local Hicks Real Estate Agent

Week 1                            Final maintenance and preparations (landscaping)

                                         Photography and styling

Week 3 – 4                     Buyer to sign the contract to purchase (2-3 weeks)

Week 5                            Building and pest inspection (7 days)

Week 6                             Finance approval (if applicable, 14 days)

Week 8 – 10                    Settlement (30 days)

Based on a timeline like this, from early October, this places settlement in early to mid-December.  So you can move out and into your wonderful new home.  All before Christmas.

It is very important to move quickly if you are wanting to be sold before Christmas.  We know that Banks and lawyers often operate with a skeleton staff or may even close during the Christmas period. So, if you need to settle this year, listing in early to mid-October will be your last chance to achieve this goal.  If you are fortunate enough to find a buyer offering a cash only contract, giving preference to these buyers will speed up the process.

We are still selling properties quite quickly.  Buyers may be a little more cautious at the moment, so it is vital that a little more expertise is needed with the marketing campaign and preparation of property. So talk to Justin and the team at Hicks Real Estate to get your home sold before Christmas.

If you have simply run out of time and not ready to start the process of selling your home, you can use the holiday period to prepare to come onto the market in the new year.  All the usual jobs like decluttering, little tidy-ups and maybe some landscaping can all be done which can allow you to be the first on the market in the new year when everyone is fresh and ready to buy again!