The resolution trap
New Year property resolutions follow predictable patterns. "I'll list in spring when the market's better." "I'll wait for interest rates to drop." "I'll get round to those repairs eventually." Then March arrives, nothing's changed, and the planned spring sale happens in rushed panic mode with half-finished preparation because you've spent three months waiting instead of acting.
Here's what separates sellers who achieve strong 2026 sales from those still waiting in December: resolutions focused on controllable actions, not hoped-for market conditions.
Price for the market that exists
Most sellers resolve to "get the right price" while meaning "achieve the valuation I want regardless of buyer capacity." That's not strategy - that's hoping reality adjusts to match your expectations. Properties sitting unsold for months aren't victims of poor markets. They're victims of pricing that ignores what buyers can afford to borrow today.
Price based on comparable evidence from recent actual sales, not aspirational valuations from agents competing for your instruction. If three similar properties sold for £340k in the past three months, your £375k listing isn't ambitious - it's unrealistic. Price correctly from day one or spend months reducing incrementally while buyers assume something's wrong with your property.
Fix what's broken
That leaking tap you've ignored for eighteen months? Buyers notice. The cracked window pane you've stopped seeing? Buyers photograph it during viewings as negotiation ammunition. The garden that's become overgrown storage? Buyers mentally deduct thousands for clearance costs.
Complete essential repairs before listing - not “eventually.” Professional buyers assess properties professionally. They calculate the cost of every visible defect and deduct accordingly from offers. Spending £500 fixing genuine issues before listing protects against £2,000 in offer reductions. This isn’t cosmetic perfectionism - it’s basic sale economics.
Present property like you're competing
Professional photography isn't vanity when 95% of buyers start their search online. Decluttered rooms help buyers imagine their own belongings. Clean windows, fresh paint, and maintained gardens aren’t about perfection - they’re the minimum standard for serious selling.
Your competition isn’t the average property in your area - it’s the best-presented one. Buyers will remember which home felt appealing and which felt like work.
Set actual dates
“I'll sell when the market improves” isn’t a timeline - it’s procrastination. Perfect conditions never arrive. Set specific dates: property prepared by February 15th, listed by March 1st. If you can’t commit to dates, you’re not planning a sale - you’re planning to think about selling indefinitely.
Choose an agent based on evidence
Select agents based on verifiable results: recent local sales, time from listing to completion, and achieved prices versus asking prices. If one agent values your home significantly higher than all others, they're not identifying hidden value - they're overpricing to win your instruction, knowing reductions will follow later.
Sellers who succeed in 2026
The sellers who achieve strong results won’t be the ones waiting for “better conditions.” They’ll be the ones who prepared properly, priced realistically, presented professionally, and acted decisively.
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