What is the Boxing Day Bounce?

26th December for many of us is a day to unwind with a half-eaten box of chocolates and take a breath from the pressures of Christmas Day, particularly those who cooked and tidied away large volumes of wrapping paper. However, elsewhere there are a significant number of people who find themselves perusing property portal sites such as Rightmove and Zoopla who prepare for a rush of buyers and sellers the day after Christmas.  

According to Zoopla, visitors rise 60 percent month-on-month in December, and Rightmove witnessed an impressive 25,147,701 visits to house-related pages on their site in 2022. It also sees an 80 percent increase in estate agents from new sellers throughout Christmas and into January.

What pushes this surge in virtual property search on Boxing Day?

The festive season provides opportunity to reflect on various aspects of our home which we may not notice the rest of the year. These could include:

  • Is our house too small or too comfortable to host in?
  • Do we have lots of empty space now the kids have left home?
  • Are we too far away from our friends and family?

These considerations develop during the festive period and drive what is known as the ‘Big Boxing Day Bounce’. It is the day when many individuals think about exploring new housing options. For sellers, it emphasises the advantage of listing their property before the Christmas break – something that proves to be a clever move in preparation for the Boxing Day Bounce.

Thinking about moving?

Make sure you have had your affordability checked with an independent broker before you hit the search sites. Call us now: 01628 507477.

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