Everyone has their own opinion when the best season to buy a house is. The real best time to buy a house is when you are ready and when you find a house you like. If that time happens to be winter, so be it!
In this blog post we share just some of the many reasons that winter is a great time buy a new home.
- Better Deals Possible
In November and December sellers are keen to get the house sold by Christmas so they can relax over the festive period. This means that the sellers may be open to a lower offer on their home if you have a small chain or no chain at all. Research shows that homes can sell for as much as 0.51% less in January than the rest of the year. While half a percent doesn’t sound much, it is when you are looking at the large cost of houses.
- Less Bidders
Bad weather can turn a lot of people off house hunting. They prefer to wait until the new year and warmer month until they start looking for a new home. This means that there will be less competition for you. With less people looking to buy new homes, there will be less chance that you will be thrown into a bidding war and risk being outbid.
- Know What To Expect
When you buy a house in the warmer summer months, you see it at it’s best. It’s not until the colder weather comes round that you start to notice some impacts that the bad weather has on your home. For example, maybe the conservatory roof is very noisy in the rain, you may see that the gutters are blocked or the central heating isn’t very efficient. You can then decide if you want to buy the home still, or offer a lower price based on your findings.
- Faster Completions
In the busier months of the year property solicitors and mortgage advisors can often be snowed under with new homes, buyers and sellers. Due to less homes being sold and bought during the winter months, you may find you exchange and complete much faster. Mortgage brokers and property solicitors historically have a lot less clients at this time, so they can stay on top of their work and deal with your sale quickly.
- Availability of Removal Companies & Vans
Like we said, winter is a less popular time to but a new home. This means that you’ll be able to hire a removal company or a van at a time that suits you. You may not need to book months in advance to save your date. You may also find that there are better deals during the months the removal companies aren’t as busy too.
