Home buyers have 'small window of opportunity' to get a bargain in Christmas season, says Rightmove

Prospective home buyers have a small window of opportunity to bag a bargain if they stay active in the run-up to Christmas, Rightmove has said.

Asking prices traditionally fall in the festive season as buyers, who may be more focused on presents and parties, are harder to come by.

The online estate agent said that means sellers may be more open to the bids that come in during the remaining weeks of the year.

“When other prospective buyers are taking a house-hunting break and are busy shopping for Christmas, a keen seller will be happy to see you and a lack of any other bids will make yours seem more appealing,” said Rightmove’s director and housing market analyst Miles Shipside.

And with the traditional seasonal drop in asking prices coming in at its smallest in four years in November, there’s even more reason for buyers to keep looking in December.

The average asking price stood at £292,572 in November, compared to £296,549 last month – a decline of just 1.3%, according to the latest Rightmove House Price Index.

Annual growth was 6.2% in November.

“With this year’s sellers’ market looking likely to continue into next year, there is a small window of opportunity to be ahead of some of your buyer competition,” Shipside said.

Would-be sellers could also benefit if they advertised before Christmas Day, when visitors to Rightmove spike. Its site had 1 million visits on Christmas Day last year.

“Being earlier to market means you won’t get left out of this surge in buyer interest if being an early-moving bird is your New Year resolution.”

Rightmove said its research showed seven in ten believe house prices will be more expensive in the next 12 months, while 85% of home-owners expect their financial situation to get better or stay the same over the next year.