With Christmas fast approaching Nick Churton of Mayfair Office makes a few observations on how there is still time to be settled in a new home for Christmas.

The race is on.  The holiday gear has been put away for another year.  The children are back at school.  Mince pies and Christmas decorations are already on the supermarket shelves.  It must be October, and the rush for some is to sell their property and buy a new one in time to put those decorations up this year.

It’s as though Christmas decorations will make a new property an instant home.  Nice thought. But it is usually time that makes a home.  And time is not really on the side of October sellers, unless they adhere to some hard and fast seasonal rules.

So here are six top tips to help move things along before Christmas 2011.

1. Try not to apply an arbitrary timetable to your sale and purchase - especially one that is influenced by Christmas. It could add unnecessary pressure at an already stressful time. Ultimately the speed of property transactions rests on price and not on whimsical desire.

2. Price your property today based on what someone will realistically pay and not the sum you need to buy the property you want, or the amount you think you should have.  Therein lies disappointment.

3. Be flexible.  Yours will not be the only agenda. Others in the transaction, and in allied transactions, will have their own agendas too.  Be reasonable.

4. Clean, paint, de-clutter, shine, stage, beautify and equip for all you are worth.  Lots of other savvy sellers will be doing the same to attract a good buyer.  You don’t want to be left with a bad one just before Christmas.

5. Remember a house is not just for Christmas.  It is for all the year round.  It is for you and your family.  If it is worth buying it really is worth waiting for.

6. If you do make it into your new home by Christmas say a very big thank you to your estate agent.  In this challenging market he or she will deserve it!