Who buys a home at Christmas? You'd be surprised

Returning Kiwi expats are the most active buyer group over the summer holidays. Photo / 123RF

Over the Christmas holidays, most Kiwis will be putting work on hold and spending time in front of the barbecue, or having fun at the beach.

Meanwhile, Kiwis living overseas are busy house-hunting for the property where they can spend their next Christmas holidays.

Bayleys real estate agent Christine Birss says she has sold 16 properties in 16 years on either Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve in her patch at Mangawhai, north of Auckland.

"It's a busy time of the year and I appreciate that people don't get another three weeks in the year to look for property."

Last Christmas Eve she scored an unconditional offer on the house, which the buyer looked at through Face Time.

The buyer was an ex-pat who was moving back to New Zealand at the start of the year and didn't want to rent but move straight into their new home, she says.

As the Kiwi ex-pats head home from London, America and Asia, Bayleys agent Victoria Bidwell says that they're already in contact to look at properties when they're here. Last week she and fellow agent Linda Simmons closed on two high end houses in the North Shore's Devonport, both bought by overseas Kiwis.

"The buyers are people who've been away 11 years, looking to buy their long-term family home," Bidwell says. "I've got quite a few from my database coming back next week to look at waterfront property in Old Lake Road. They've been overseas and it's time to come home."

Epsom Ray White agents John Campbell and his business partner Jane Horgan, also had holidaying ex-pat buyers, so they work through Christmas every year.

"They want to secure the property they can rent out until they relocate back in the next year or two. There are also ex-pats who are starting the family and want to be closer to home."

Campbell has sold a house on Christmas Eve and January 2 in 2016 and 2017 and he loves showing homes during the holidays.

Buyers hunting for property are normally on the "holiday high" and have a happy attitude and mindset, he says.

"People have more mind space without the rest of their lives coming at them and people are relaxed during the two- or three-weeks holiday period so they can just focus on buying a new pad."

Ray White gent Kane Taylor says it not only the ex-pats but also people who are keen to end their year on a high and tick a big task off the list.

Taylor sold an Epsom property at 2.30am on the Christmas Day after about five hours of negotiating last year.

"The buyers were in late 40s, wanted to start the New Year fresh, with a new house. The vendors didn't want to go to bed until it's done."

The Christmas Day deal has convinced him to work on December 25 every year, as the holiday season is busy in the property market.

"People seem to be really keen to get things done around Christmas and New Year period. They've been searching for a while but want something sorted before the new year."