Want to be moved by Christmas? The conversation starts now
- Scott Mackenzie
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
If selling and moving before Christmas is on your mind, the window is already tighter than it looks.
First, though, everyone wants to know about the market.
Before making any decisions, it is worth understanding what is actually happening across Auckland.
Barfoot & Thompson Managing Director Peter Thompson has just released the latest July housing market update, covering sales activity, prices, new listings and available stock.
Read Peter Thompson’s July Auckland housing market update:
But knowing what the market is doing is only part of the equation.
If your goal is to be in your next home, or simply have your current property sold and settled, before Christmas, it helps to work backwards from that deadline.
Christmas is the deadline. Today is the starting line.
One of the misconceptions about selling is that the process begins when the property appears online.
In reality, there is quite a bit that happens beforehand.
A sensible pathway from here looks something like this:
1. NOW: APPRAISE & PLAN
Understand your likely value, timing, marketing options and how a sale might fit with your onward move.
2. MID TO LATE AUGUST: PREPARE & LIST
Allow around two to three weeks for any presentation work, staging, photography, campaign material and launch preparation.
3. SEPTEMBER: RUN THE CAMPAIGN
A typical campaign may run for three to four weeks, including open homes, buyer follow-up and negotiations or auction.
4. BY MID-DECEMBER: SETTLE & MOVE
Selling in September or early October can leave a much more realistic window to coordinate your purchase, settlement and move, rather than trying to squeeze everything into December.
That does not mean you need to decide today that you are selling.
It means that if moving before Christmas matters to you, now is a useful time to start gathering information.
Some decisions are much easier before the clock is running
An early conversation gives you the luxury of time.
You can work out whether the kitchen really needs attention, whether painting is likely to be worthwhile, whether staging will help, or whether the property may already be ready for market.
You can also think through the bigger question:
How will the sale of this property work alongside the purchase of the next one?
Should you sell first?
Buy first?
Make an offer conditional on sale?
Aim for a longer settlement?
What does your finance allow?
There is rarely one answer that suits everybody.
The point of planning early is that you still have choices.
Once a property has been purchased, a deadline has been created, or Christmas is only a few weeks away, many of those choices start disappearing.
An appraisal isn’t a commitment to sell
Sometimes people put off calling a salesperson because they assume an appraisal means they have decided to put their home on the market.
It doesn’t.
A good appraisal should simply give you useful information: what your property may be worth today, what comparable properties have sold for, what buyers are responding to and what you might want to do before selling.
Then you can decide what, if anything, happens next.
For anyone contemplating a move before Christmas, that is probably the most valuable reason to start the conversation now.
Local knowledge, backed by experience
I grew up in Hillcrest, attended Sunnybrae School and now live locally with my own family.
Over 15 years in real estate I have personally sold more than 250 homes and managed or overseen more than 1,700 sales.
Charise Steyn works alongside me and plays an important role in keeping our campaigns organised and our clients informed.
Originally from South Africa, Charise has called New Zealand home for almost seven years and is now based on the North Shore.
Her calm, organised approach and attention to communication help ensure our clients feel supported from the early planning stages right through to settlement.
For us, a successful property campaign is not simply about getting a house sold.
It is about helping the people behind the property navigate what is often a major life change.
What our clients say
Recent feedback from our Hillcrest clients reinforces how important that communication can be.
Following the sale of a property that had been owned for more than 40 years, the family particularly highlighted the communication, professionalism and support they received throughout the process.
The property attracted three offers after six days on the market and sold above its asking price.
You can read Scott’s verified client reviews here:
Thinking about Christmas? Start with a conversation
If you are considering selling this year, there is no pressure to make a decision today.
But if you would like to be moved before Christmas, now is a very good time to understand your options.
We are happy to spend 20 minutes talking through value, preparation, timing and how a sale could fit with whatever comes next.
Scott Mackenzie
021 336 734
Charise Steyn
027 294 3518
Or simply get in touch and start the conversation.
Why I still love real estate
Property may be the transaction, but people are the reason I have remained in the industry.
Selling often accompanies something much bigger: a growing family, downsizing, retirement, relocation or simply the beginning of a new chapter.
After 15 years in real estate, that part of the job still matters to me.
I made this short video about what continues to drive me and why helping people feel informed and confident through those transitions is so important.
Watch: What drives me in real estate
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