Every December, sellers in Hemel Hempstead hear about the Boxing Day Bounce. But does listing your home over Christmas really lead to better results, or is it more hype than help.
---
Is the Boxing Day Bounce Real, or Just Clever Marketing
Every year, as Christmas leftovers pile up and the sofa starts to feel uncomfortable, the same question appears.
Is the Boxing Day Bounce a genuine opportunity for sellers, or just a good story dressed up as a strategy
Let us take an honest look.
What is the Boxing Day Bounce
The Boxing Day Bounce refers to the idea that demand for homes spikes on Boxing Day, with a surge in new listings and online enquiries.
According to Rightmove, Boxing Day 2024 saw record breaking activity.
They reported that enquiries about homes for sale were around 20 percent higher than the previous year.
They also saw the highest number of Boxing Day website visits on record, beating the previous peak set in 2021.
On paper, that sounds impressive.
Is the Boxing Day Bounce for real
Let us be frank.
A lot of people find themselves at a loose end on Boxing Day. Browsing property websites is simply another way to pass the time.
People are online anyway.
They are searching for holidays, sofas, jobs, gadgets and sometimes solutions to problems they did not know they had until Christmas dinner was over.
So it is hardly surprising that property websites see a spike too.
The key question is not traffic.
It is intent.
Many people browsing homes over the festive period are window shopping rather than actively buying.
Some are curious. Some are dreaming. Some are just being nosey.
Call us cynical, but the Boxing Day Bounce feels more like clever publicity than solid selling strategy.
Even Rightmove’s own data supports that view.
Their figures show that February and March are the strongest months for listings that go on to complete successfully, followed closely by April and January.
Our honest advice to sellers
If you want to list your home around Christmas, that is absolutely fine.
There is no harm in it.
But do not feel pressured by headlines or marketing noise.
In our experience, a well presented home that is correctly priced will sell at any time of year.
Timing matters far less than preparation, presentation and pricing.
The best time to sell is when it suits you, your circumstances and your next move.
Final thought
Do what feels right for you, not what the headlines tell you to do.
And if you are genuinely thinking of selling your home in Hemel Hempstead and would like an accurate, honest valuation, give us a call.
We would love to help you sell your home when the time is right for you.
If you know someone who would enjoy this article, feel free to share it.