By Unless you're from Australia, it's unlikely that where you'll be spending Christmas Day will cross your mind while you’re in the garden at 7pm checking on the smoker and topping up everyone's drinks on a warm August evening.
The sun is shining, the steaks are sizzling, the fizz is popping and the ice cubes are merrily chinking. The children are bouncing around the garden, making the most of another long summer evening, and the closest item on the menu to resemble a roastie is your cousin’s famous potato salad. Christmas? Well, it couldn’t feel further away.
But cast your mind back briefly to last December…if you've ever dreamed of cooking a festive feast in a different kitchen, hosting family around a bigger table or waking up somewhere new on Christmas morning, this is exactly the moment you should be thinking about it. After all, it’s never too early to think ahead.
Don’t leave it too late
One of the biggest surprises for many homeowners is just how long the moving process can take. Even seasoned sellers have a habit of looking back through rose-tinted glasses. Ask anyone who's done it before, and they'll probably tell you it wasn't so bad. Memory has a clever way of editing out the more stressful parts, leaving us convinced that the last move was far simpler than it probably was.
While a straightforward sale can complete in as little as three months from marketing to moving day, every transaction is different. Chains, mortgage approvals, surveys, legal enquiries and conveyancing can all influence the timescale, potentially adding weeks, or even months, to the process.
The catch is this: the decision to move is rarely made logically or strategically. More often than not, there's a moment when the penny drops, and we realise our current home no longer fits the life we're living.
Think back to last October. As the evenings drew in and Christmas suddenly felt within touching distance, did you catch yourself dreaming of somewhere different? A larger dining table for family gatherings. An open-plan kitchen where everyone could gather. A spare bedroom so guests didn't have to squeeze onto a sofa bed. You probably dismissed it the moment the last of the wrapping paper was dropped into the recycling bin and the final relative waved off on New Year’s Day, but before long, despite the long evenings and freshly cut grass scents of summer, Autumn will be upon us once more, and with it the distant smell of woodsmoke and mulled wine.
The challenge is that, by then, the clock is already ticking. Choosing an estate agent, preparing your home, arranging photography, finding a buyer, negotiating offers, instructing solicitors and working through the legal process all take time. If Christmas in a new home is the goal, summer gives you far more breathing space than autumn ever will.
Work back from Christmas
Don’t worry, if you’re only reading this blog in October, it doesn't necessarily mean you've missed your chance of moving before Christmas (although you may be cutting it a little fine), but if you’re fortunate enough to be receiving this prompt in August, the great news is you are in a great position to take each stage of the move at a pace that suits you. Start now and you'll give yourself the best possible chance of cooking Christmas dinner in that new streamlined (or classic Shaker-style) kitchen. Of course – every sale is different – but with a headstart, here’s a quick breakdown of how this timeline might look:
Ealy-mid August – Lay the foundations:
Any elite athlete will tell you that the performance is only the final chapter; success is earned in the weeks and months of preparation beforehand. Selling a home is no different.
Here you are, standing at the barbecue, perhaps noticing an errant leaf skittering by, falling early, nonetheless a precursor to autumn, a subtle reminder that the next season is only weeks away. This is the moment, the month to begin the conversation, the time to meet with estate agents, ask the important questions, declutter, tackle small repair jobs that you might have been putting on hold, get valuations and essentially get your home in tip-top, market ready shape.
Early-mid August checklist:
• Book valuations with three estate agents.
• Obtain conveyancer quotes
• Decide which agent best fits your goals, (not just the highest valuation).
• Declutter one room at a time.
• Tackle those small maintenance jobs you've been putting off.
• Neutralise decor where needed (no bold colours).
• Trim hedges, mow the lawn and make the most of your summer garden.
• Gather paperwork such as warranties, guarantees and planning documents.
• Begin browsing the market to understand what's available and what your budget could buy.
Mid-late August – Get market ready
The preparations are in place, you’ve chosen your estate agent, and your home is decluttered (or in the process of becoming so). Your home looks fantastic, and it’s time to share it with the world. First impressions count, so this is the month to really go the extra mile. The long days, fiery twilights and mature gardens of late summer combine to create the best conditions for photography, while there is still so much time to fine-tune all the details before launching your home to the market.
Mid-late August checklist:
• Arrange professional photography and floorplans.
• Work with your estate agent’s specialist copywriter to fine-tune the brochure description.
• Finish any remaining decorating or maintenance jobs.
• Style key rooms for photography.
• Keep the garden looking its best (bedding plants can add some last-minute colour).
• Have EPCs, certificates and other paperwork ready if required.
• Launch your home to market.
September – Find your buyer
Your home is on the market and, hopefully, attracting plenty of interest. Viewings are in full swing, feedback is coming in and this is where preparation begins to pay off. A well-presented home, accurately priced and marketed professionally gives you the strongest possible start, helping you attract buyers and build momentum from the outset.
September is also the month to keep an open mind: Listen to feedback, stay in regular contact with your estate agent and be prepared to negotiate. Securing the right buyer is every bit as important as securing the right price if you have your heart set on being in your new home before Christmas.
September checklist:
• Keep your home viewer ready.
• Review feedback after every viewing.
• Keep in regular contact with your agent regarding your marketing strategy.
• Negotiate and agree an offer.
• Accept the buyer who gives you the strongest overall position, not necessarily the highest offer.
• Instruct your solicitor (if you haven't already).
• Continue viewing homes and be ready to make an offer on your next home.
October & November – Keep things moving
By now, much of the hard work is hopefully behind you. If you've accepted an offer, this is the stage where solicitors, mortgage lenders and surveyors take centre stage and you can take a moment to, well, relax might be too much of an ask with so much going on behind the scenes. From waiting for and chasing searches, to the endless stream of enquiries raised and answered, surveys completed and mortgage offers finalised - it's often the least glamorous part of moving house, but arguably the most important.
While much of the process is now in other people's hands, staying organised and responding promptly to requests can help keep everything moving in the right direction. Keep in regular contact with your estate agent and solicitor, and, if all goes to plan, you'll soon be talking completion dates rather than asking, "Have you heard anything yet?".
October & November checklist:
• Instruct your solicitor (if you haven't already).
• Complete property information forms promptly.
• Arrange your mortgage (if required).
• Book and complete surveys and valuations.
• Respond quickly to any legal enquiries.
• Stay in regular contact with your estate agent and solicitor.
• Start collecting packing boxes and organising your move.
• Book a removals company once a completion date is in sight.
December – Home for Christmas
Whether it's your first Christmas dinner in a cosy cottage or the first Boxing Day brunch around the sociably modern breakfast bar in the open plan family kitchen, it’s time to pat yourself on the back for all those decisions you made back in the sunshine of August.
While no home sale comes with guarantees, giving yourself the gift of time means you're far more likely to spend Christmas making memories in your new home than tentatively counting days on a calendar as you creep ever closer to the big day, wondering whether you’ll complete in time!
Ready to make this your last summer barbecue here?
If Christmas in a new home has ever crossed your mind, don't wait until the leaves begin to fall. It’s never too early to talk it out with the experts, and summer often provides the time and headspace to prepare properly, make informed decisions and give yourself the best possible chance of being settled by December.
Whether you're just curious about your home's value or ready to start seriously planning your next move, we'd love to help. For more information or a friendly conversation, contact us on 01204 582225 or hello@burtonjames.co.uk and let's start working backwards from Christmas together.
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