Tips for Winter House Hunting: Wisdom from our Property Finders

Did you know that winter is the best time to house hunt in the UK?  It may seem surprising with the darker nights and festive celebrations in full swing, but if you’re thinking about taking the plunge, then winter house hunting is something that you ought to consider.

However, if you’re planning on successful winter house hunting, you’ll need to take some particular precautions. As Property Finders, we make it our mission to understand house-hunting trends and bring you the tips and tricks you need for success. If you would like more information or want to work with one of our Regional Directors, contact us today.

Top Tips for Winter House Hunting

Here are our tried and tested top tips for successful house hunting in winter;  

1. Find Out About the Property

There’s plenty of research that can play into your hands at this time of year. Ask how long the property has been on the market. If it came on in the spring, there’s a fair chance that the vendor’s beginning to feel desperate, and a mid-winter chilly offer could receive a warm reception. There’s no better time for a speculative offer than the second week of December. Our Property Finders can help guide you through making this type of offer and how to go about selecting the right price.

2. Be a good viewer

Take off your shoes or bring indoor options.  The vendors may well have been extra-accommodating to allow you in during the busiest time of the year for guests and activities, so showing your appreciation can make a difference. Most often, people like to sell to people they like, so if they are in the property, don’t criticise – it won’t help you in negotiations!!

3. Explore Natural Light

The winter brings the darkest days as well as nights. Once inside the property, ask the agent or vendor to turn out all the lights (they will have been instructed to turn them all on!) so you can establish how much natural light the property gets. Also, check whether the heating is turned up to the max – it may feel warm and cosy, but at what cost? Winter house hunting can be the best time to get a real idea of the energy costs involved in the property you’re considering.

4. Take the Opportunity to View the Property in Extreme Weather

Winter is the perfect opportunity to wait until the weather’s particularly bleak (snow and ice are ideal) and drag yourself away from the fire for a drive-by of the property you’re interested in.  It’s a great time to check accessibility, especially – but not only – for more isolated properties.

5. Choose Your Viewing Time Wisely

Factor in the limited daylight hours you have available to you. There’s little point viewing a property in the dark. Take warm clothes – you don’t want the cold and wet to prevent you from having a really good look outside, not just at the garden, the surroundings and the view, but at the fabric of the property itself. Without the benefit of the sun, you’ll need a compass to establish the aspect and check what trees and buildings will obscure the sun at various zeniths when it reappears next spring.

6. Respect the Festive Plans of the Vendor and Legal Bodies

While pre-Christmas is always a good time to negotiate a good deal, don’t be unreasonable about timing. There’s little benefit to trying to exchange and complete in the limited time before the festivities. Solicitors close early for Christmas and remain closed for two weeks, stress levels will rise, and even if you do complete and move before Christmas, you’ll spend the holiday staring at cardboard boxes and trying to figure out how to use the Aga and the central heating system. Winter house hunting is for finding your property – save moving in for the new year.

7. Work with a Property Finder

Of course, your local Buying Agent will do much, if not all, of the hard work for you – the research, the viewing arrangements, the negotiating – so why not have a no-obligation chat with your local Property Finder today?

Working with Our Regional Directors for your Winter House Hunting

No matter where you are looking for a new property, we have a property finder for you. Our regional directors each specialise in a different area of the UK. They have the local knowledge of the area and have all the inside information when it comes to the property market. They can help you find your dream home even if it’s not officially on the market yet.

Contact our team today and begin your house-hunting journey.