🎄 Should You Sell Your Home Over Christmas in Western Australia?

Every year, as Christmas gets closer, I get the same question:

“Is it a bad idea to sell my home over Christmas, or should I wait until the New Year?”

The short answer: it depends on your situation, your timeline, and the condition of your home.

The longer answer is where it gets interesting — because the data shows a clear pattern in Western Australia, and if you understand that pattern, you can use it to your advantage.

🔗 Jump to section

• WA market snapshot – how strong is the market right now?
• Does the buyer pool really drop over Christmas?
• When is the strongest time of year to sell in WA?
• Pros and cons of selling over Christmas
• Who should sell now vs who should wait?
• How to make a Christmas sale work in your favour
• The real takeaway for WA sellers

🏡 WA Market Snapshot – How Strong Is the Market Right Now?

Before we even talk about Christmas, it’s important to understand the bigger picture.

The Perth and wider WA market has been one of the strongest in the country over the past couple of years, with:

• Median house prices at record or near-record highs in many suburbs.
• Strong annual growth in key areas like Perth and Mandurah.
• Very low stock levels in many parts of WA, which means less competition for sellers and more competition among buyers.

In other words, we’re not talking about selling into a weak market. We’re talking about selling into a strong market that has a short seasonal dip around Christmas.

So the real question isn’t “Is Christmas a terrible time to sell?” — it’s:

“Given that the market is strong overall, does the Christmas dip matter for me?”

📉 Does the Buyer Pool Really Drop Over Christmas?

Yes, it does — but that doesn’t mean buyers disappear.

Every year, we see a similar pattern in the lead-up to Christmas and the New Year:

• Listings drop as many owners hit pause until late January or early autumn.
• Home open numbers soften as people travel, switch off and focus on family and Christmas events.
• Online views and enquiry generally ease off for a few weeks compared with peak selling months.

That’s the “quiet patch” most agents talk about. It usually runs for around 3–6 weeks over late December and early January.

But here’s the part sellers often miss:

• The buyers who are active during December are usually highly motivated — they’re not just browsing; they need to buy.
• There is less competition from other sellers, because so many owners decide to “wait until the New Year”.

So while the overall buyer pool is smaller, you’re not competing against the full weight of every other listing either.

📈 When Is the Strongest Time of Year to Sell in WA?

In Western Australia, the market has fairly clear seasonal rhythms.

Broadly speaking, the strongest selling windows tend to be:

• Late summer and early autumn – roughly February to April.
• Spring – especially October and November.

On top of that, for a lot of suburbs in the Mandurah, Rockingham and wider Perth corridor, we consistently see very solid activity from early spring through to early August. Outside the Christmas dip, buyer demand has been strong right through most of the year.

So where does Christmas fit into that?

Think of the Christmas/New Year period as a brief speed bump in an otherwise strong market:

• Buyer numbers dip for a few weeks.
• Many sellers step back and wait.
• Activity picks up again as people reset for the new year.

That means you’re not trying to sell in a “bad year” — you’re just choosing whether to list during a quiet few weeks or to wait for the bigger buyer pool.

⚖️ Pros and Cons of Selling Over Christmas

✅ Advantages of Selling Over Christmas

• Less competition from other listings – a well-presented home can stand out more easily when fewer new properties are hitting the market.
• More serious buyers – the people still house-hunting in December are often relocating, under contract pressure or on a deadline. They’re not tyre-kickers.
• Emotional timing – buyers are already thinking about lifestyle, family and “next year’s chapter”, which can work in your favour if your home presents well.
• Stronger market backdrop – in a rising or tight market, even the quieter weeks can still produce good results.

❌ Disadvantages of Selling Over Christmas

• Smaller overall buyer pool – fewer active buyers means fewer groups through each home open, and potentially fewer offers.
• Potentially longer days on market – if you list just before Christmas, you may not see peak enquiry until early to mid-January.
• Logistics can be harder – people are away, settlement agents and banks have breaks, and trades can be booked out.

Neither list is “right or wrong”. The key is matching the timing to your goals and your deadline.

🤔 So… Should You Sell During Christmas?

Here’s the simplest way to think about it.

Sell Over Christmas If:

• You need to sell within a specific timeframe – for example, you’ve bought elsewhere, you’re relocating, divorcing or restructuring finances.
• You’re happy to trade a slightly smaller buyer pool for less competition from other sellers.
• Your home presents well right now and you’re ready to go – no major renos or big “to-do” list standing in the way.
• You understand that if enquiry is soft during the week of Christmas, it will usually lift again in early January.

Wait Until Early Spring–Early August If:

• You don’t have to move urgently and can choose your timing.
• You want the maximum number of eyeballs on your property, even if it means competing with more listings.
• You plan to complete renovations or improvements to get a stronger result – new paint, flooring, gardens, minor cosmetic updates etc.
• You’re targeting the “sweet spot” of strong WA demand outside the Christmas slowdown.

Ultimately, there is no universal “right” answer. There’s only what makes sense for your situation, your property and your risk tolerance.

🎯 How to Make a Christmas Sale Work in Your Favour

If you do decide to sell over the Christmas period, there are a few things you can do to maximise your result:

1. Get your presentation right

Because buyer numbers are a little lower, you can’t afford to waste a single inspection. Focus on:

• Clean, decluttered rooms
• Fresh gardens and curb appeal
• Neutral styling with a light, airy feel
• Small fixes: handles, taps, light fittings, paint touch-ups

2. Be strategic with your launch date

If possible, avoid launching your campaign in the final days right before Christmas. Either:

• Launch a little earlier in December to catch pre-Christmas buyers, or
• Launch just after New Year to hit the wave of people who have made “move house” their New Year decision.

3. Lean into serious buyers

Remember, December buyers are often on a timeline. Make it easy for them to act:

• Offer flexible home open times and private viewings.
• Have key information ready: rates, strata (if applicable), rent history, settlement preferences.
• Be clear and realistic about price and expectations.

4. Work with an agent who understands the local rhythm

Every suburb has its own micro-market. What happens in inner-city Perth isn’t identical to what happens in Mandurah, Rockingham, Port Kennedy, Lakelands or Secret Harbour. Work with an agent who knows:

• How many buyers are actively looking in your price range.
• How similar homes have performed at different times of year.
• How to structure a campaign that suits the season, not fights against it.

🎁 The Real Takeaway

Christmas isn’t a “bad” time to sell.

It’s simply a quieter time where:

• There are fewer buyers…
• But also fewer competing listings…
• And the buyers who are still looking tend to be more serious.

If you need to sell or your plans can’t wait, you can still achieve a strong result over the Christmas period with the right strategy.

If you want maximum competition and the biggest possible buyer pool, then aiming for that early spring to early August window (outside the 3–6 week Christmas dip) is usually the safest play.

Either way, the most important thing is that your timing matches your life — not just the calendar.

📩 Not Sure What’s Right for You?

If you’re tossing up whether to:

• Sell now over Christmas, or
• Wait until the stronger seasonal window,

feel free to reach out and I’ll walk you through the options based on your property, your plans and your local suburb.

There’s no pressure and no cost — just honest advice so you can make the right call.

If you’re in Mandurah, Rockingham, Port Kennedy or the surrounding areas and you’d like an obligation-free appraisal, you can get in touch any time.