January Beats Boxing Day: Why smart sellers wait two weeks for more eyeballs and better offers
Boxing Day gets a bounce, but January brings the real surge. List fresh in the first weeks of January for more views, more viewings and stronger offers.
January beats Boxing Day. Here’s why I advise most sellers to wait.
Yes, there’s a spike after Christmas. But that “bounce” is measured against Christmas Day, which is the quietest day of the year. When the dust settles, January is consistently the busier period for serious buyers, and that’s what matters to your sale.
THE FACTS:
- Boxing Day vs Christmas Day: traffic jumps hard after Christmas, last year saw an 87% jump in traffic on Rightmove. That’s normal.
- January vs Boxing Day: the first working week(s) of January out-pull Boxing Day in total buyer sessions, year after year. In 2022 & 2023 it was over 60%. In 2024 January, March, July & October were the busiest months for traffic and web visits to Rightmove. We're still waiting for 2025 data to be released.
- Freshness wins: a home that launches fresh in early January benefits from the surge. A home launched on Boxing Day is already 2–3 weeks old by then and risks being scrolled past as “seen it" or excluded from 'new listing' filters.
Our data mastermind, Simon Gates from Opening the Gates Ltd had this to say: "Last Boxing Day, new listings were up 26% year-on-year, but enquiries were only up 20%. Which means more sellers than buyers. If you wait until January, you’re launching into more buyer traffic on Rightmove with less staleness on your listing."
Why January is typically the smarter launch
- More eyeballs when it counts
January brings the real volume. Rightmove’s own seasonality slides show busy months include January, with a marked lift from Boxing Day into the first two January weeks.
- You stay “new” when the crowd arrives
Portals reward freshness. Hit “go live” in early January and you ride the wave at the top of buyer searches. Go live on Boxing Day and by mid-Jan, when the portal traffic spikes, you look old news.
- Better viewing density = better offers
Viewings cluster in January. Clustered interest creates competitive tension and usually sharper offers than the drip-feed you’ll see over a quiet holiday fortnight.
- Cleaner buyer intent
Post-holiday browsers turn into mortgage-ready buyers in January. New AIPs, clearer timelines, fewer “just looking” enquiries.
But should anyone launch on Boxing Day?
If you’re chain-free, 100% photo-ready (no christmas trees in pictures) and chasing very specific “new year movers” (relocations etc.), a Boxing Day launch can still work. Will it get you the highest number of eyeballs on your advert, more viewings or higher offers? Probably not.
HERE'S WHAT TO DO NOW
The two-week plan: prep now, launch strong:
Week 1 (this month):
- Prep the home: clean & clear clutter, lamps for warm cosy lighting, neutral bedding, clean driveway and patios all in readiness for photos and video.
- Book Professional photos, promo video, floorplan with us.
- Listing copy that answers questions (layout, storage, running costs, EPC, broadband, parking).
- Pricing set for today’s market, not last year’s wish price.
Week 2 (last week of December):
- Pre-load your listing on our CRM system.
- Build your buyer shortlist and line up viewings for launch week.
- Tease on socials: “New in January” with the Promo Video.
- Hit “live” first working week of January with viewing slots ready for the following weekend.
Ready to move in January?
Reply “JAN LIST” by email & I’ll be in touch to map your two-week launch plan.