Christmas is one of the best times to market your home

With festive decorations providing a warm and welcoming feeling to any house, sellers should be encouraged to market their properties over Christmas, according to independent property consultancy Galbraith.

Boxing Day is reported as one of the busiest days for house hunters thinking about their next move with spikes in online traffic reported by agents.

This trend supports the move to a 12-month market for selling property in Scotland.

Jennifer Campbell, residential agent for Galbraith in Stirlingshire, said: ‘Christmas time is the one event in the year where family congregates for several days to entertain at home.

‘If they weren’t considering selling beforehand, they often think again after guest accommodation is stretched with busy family life and entertaining taking over every corner of the property. In addition, it is a time when family sit around the table and make plans for the coming year.

‘We find that traffic to our own and affiliated websites is exceptionally high at this time of year, particularly from Boxing Day and through to the New Year. The internet is the first place prospective buyers will view your property. If a property is presented well online it allows buyers to imagine themselves in their dream house for next Christmas.’

Jennifer’s top tips for marketing your property over the festive period:

• A natural wreath on the door is a lovely invitation for viewers, after all you want them to envisage their next Christmas in that property.
• Pile the logs by the fire and have the fire lit during viewings, such a homely atmosphere will be difficult to resist.
• Keep decorations in keeping with colour themes in the property where possible. Natural choices of holly and ivy, pine wreaths and wooden decorations are timeless and classic in design and are less likely to offend.
• Fresh flowers with or without a Christmas theme are a must for the entertaining season and will be appreciated during viewings. Flowers always compliment a room.
• Encourage the children to make decorations for their rooms and if you have a playroom why not have a tree for them there to inspire them, this keeps your colour schemes in control elsewhere in the house.
• Keep outside lighting to a minimum, some simple fairy lights on a tree or shrub will create a welcoming atmosphere and again a classic white light is less likely to offend.
• Scented candles can be very effective at creating a winter ambience without the need for decorations, ginger spice or mulled wine scents are very popular and also add to the viewing experience.
• Always make sure viewings are in daylight hours so they can appreciate the property at its best.
• For marketing brochures at Christmas, take your photographs before you decorate the house and certainly not on a snowy day. Photographs instantly date the marketing, purchasers won’t appreciate a photo of the Christmas tree in March!