The Seller's Advent Calendar: 24 Small Jobs Before January
Behind every advent calendar door, a chocolate. Behind ours, a small job that gets your home ready to sell in 2027.
Less tasty, we admit. But open one door a day from 1 December and by Christmas Eve your home will be valued, photographed, fully papered up and ready to launch whenever you choose. Which is more than a chocolate has ever done for anyone.
Why open a seller's advent calendar this December?
Because the new year rush starts before the decorations come down, and the homes buyers see first are the ones that were ready.
Rightmove found that in the five days after Christmas 2025, the number of people sending enquiries to estate agents to view homes rose by 67% compared with the five days before Christmas. Over the same days, the number of new homes listed for sale more than doubled, up 143% (Rightmove, January 2026).
Buyers come back early, and so does the competition. Do a little each day in December and you avoid doing all of it at once in January, while everyone else is doing the same.
Doors 1 to 7: how do you get photo-ready before the tree goes up?
The first week is the big one, because Christmas dates a listing the moment January arrives. A tree in the corner looks lovely on 20 December. On 10 January it quietly tells buyers your home has been on the market since before Christmas.
Door 1: Book your valuation. Meet more than one agent if you like, and ask each one how they reached their figure. A good answer involves homes that have actually sold locally.
Door 2: Pick one room and clear every surface. Just one. It is a start.
Door 3: Now do the rest of the rooms. Sorry.
Door 4: The garden. Put the summer furniture away, sweep up the leaves and coil the hose like you mean it.
Door 5: Wash the windows, inside and out. Photographers love light, and so do buyers.
Door 6: Photo day. Lamps on, curtains wide open, loo seat down. Ask for the floorplan to be measured on the same visit.
Door 7: Put the tree up. Go wild. The photos are safely done.
Doors 8 to 14: what paperwork should sellers find before it goes missing?
This is the week of the drawer. You know the one. Everything your solicitor and your buyer's solicitor will ask for is probably in it, somewhere under the takeaway menus.
Door 8: Find your Energy Performance Certificate on the government's EPC register. In England and Wales, an EPC must be commissioned before a home goes on the market if there is not already a valid one. If you need a new one, your agent can book it.
Door 9: The boiler. Dig out its installation certificate and service history.
Door 10: Replaced any windows or doors? Find the certificates.
Door 11: Extension, loft conversion or a wall that is no longer there? Find the planning permission and building regulations sign-off. If you cannot, ask your council now, not in March.
Door 12: Guarantees for damp proofing, roofing or rewiring. Back to the drawer.
Door 13: Leasehold? Find your lease and your latest service charge and ground rent details. Freehold? Have a mince pie. You have earned it.
Door 14: Put it all in one folder, label it and feel quietly smug.
Doors 15 to 21: who needs to be on your team?
A sale moves faster when the right people are lined up before the buyer arrives.
Door 15: Shortlist two or three solicitors or conveyancers and ask each for a quote.
Door 16: Instruct one. Identity checks and the property information forms can then be done in December, not after an offer comes in.
Door 17: Find your mortgage account details, so your solicitor can ask your lender for a redemption figure when the time comes.
Door 18: Buying as well? Speak to a mortgage adviser about what you can borrow before you fall for somewhere.
Door 19: Read your listing description with your agent. Correct anything that is wrong. Nobody knows the house like you do.
Door 20: Agree a launch date with your agent, or agree to decide in the new year. Both are fine.
Door 21: The shortest day of the year. From tomorrow the days get longer, and your sale gets closer.
Doors 22 to 24: what is behind the last three doors?
Door 22: Last-minute shopping. Nothing to do with your house. We just thought you might need reminding.
Door 23: Fix the little things. The dripping tap, the sticking door, the bulb on the landing. Or add them to a January list. No judgement.
Door 24: Put your feet up. You are ready.
Does a finished calendar mean you have to go on the market?
No. Being ready and being live are two different things.
Once the photographs, floorplan, description and EPC are in place, everything simply waits with your agent. You watch the local market together and press go when it feels right, whether that is the first week of January or later in the spring.
In the meantime, Christmas is yours. No keeping the house show-home tidy, no squeezing viewings in between family visits, and no rummaging for a boiler certificate in the middle of a sale.
Frequently asked questions
When should I have photos taken if I want to sell in January?
Before your decorations go up, on a bright day, once the house has had a good clear-out. The pictures then wait with your agent until you are ready to launch.
Do I need an EPC before I put my house on the market?
In England and Wales, yes. An EPC must be commissioned before your home is marketed if there is not already a valid one. Check the government's EPC register first, as you may already have one.
If I get everything ready in December, do I have to go on the market straight away?
No. Preparing your home and launching it are separate decisions. A good agent agrees the launch date with you, and nothing goes live until you say so.
What if I start the calendar late?
Open several doors at once. The order matters more than the dates: photos before the decorations, paperwork next, then your solicitor.
If you are thinking of selling in 2027, we would love to help you open the doors. We will value your home, explain exactly how we reached the figure and get everything ready, so you can enjoy Christmas and launch when it suits you. Chocolate optional.
If you know someone who is thinking about moving in 2027, please share this calendar with them.
What the EAN logo means for you
We are proud to be part of the Ethical Agent Network (EAN), a national network of independent agents who have been independently checked against strict standards of honesty and service. You cannot pay your way in. It has to be earned, and it can be taken away. That is your reassurance that we do the right thing by you, even when no one is watching. If you would like to know more about the Ethical Agent Network, please get in touch or visit www.ethicalagentnetwork.co.uk.
