Contrary to popular belief, the holiday season is actually a GREAT time to put your home on the market. Follow our blog and find out why you should list your home this holiday season… as well as top tips on the right way to stage to sell this Christmas!
Our Top Reasons for Selling Your Home During The Holidays
“I’m going to wait until Spring to list my home – as it’s the busy season!” – Mr Smith, Another disappointed seller
Don’t be like Mr Smith and make the incredibly common mistake of thinking you should wait until Spring to list your home. Here are 5 reasons why we believe in listing your home during the holidays…
1. ‘Tis the Season…
Holiday magic is a real thing! Tug on those heart strings, as the iconic sales saying goes – “Buy on emotion, back up with logic!”. Home buyers are no different. The Holiday season gives you the cozy/warmth feeling that you simply can’t get in the Spring/Summer seasons.
Just remember to keep your holiday decorations simple. If you have soaring 14ft ceilings – show them off with a gorgeous sky-scraper of a tree. Check out these top tips from realtor.com → Realtor.com Tips for Decorating Your Home to Sell at Christmas
2. Less Competition
With the vast majority of sellers waiting until Spring to sell, you would be in the unique position of facing less competition. What does this really mean? Fewer houses on the market, less choice for buyers, more buyers interested in the same property, leads to less demanding offers and potentially less negotiations after inspections.
Don’t follow the crowd – be a wolf and reap the rewards of the holiday market!
3. Serious Buyers
Who would waste time looking around houses during the holidays if you didn’t REALLY need to move??! Our point exactly! Buyers who chose to take time out of an already busy schedule to look at YOUR home, are genuinely interested in moving. Additionally, the New Year brings new jobs. With new jobs opening up and the inevitable need to transfer or move, this brings a new influx of buyers. Combine this with the already existing buyer pool and you have a nice collection of time sensitive buyers willing to negotiate to get in before the end of the holidays.
In theory you should have fewer showings for the same amount of offers… which is literally the meaning of efficiency!! If you value time and efficiency, the holiday market just might be for you!
4. Quicker Sales Process
With less houses on the market, the 3rd party vendors (lenders, attorneys, inspectors, underwriters etc) are also not quite as busy. What does this mean for you? It means they have more time to work on your transaction, and ultimately get you to the closing table earlier.
5. Flexible Schedules
Statistics show that the vast majority of US workers take their PTO during the holidays. Therefore not only do they have more flexibility, but so do you! It’s also expected that during the holidays, showings might be a little more restricted. So no need to feel bad if you can’t facilitate a showing.
Now you’ve made the decision to be a wolf, go against the grain and reap the benefits of the holiday market. Here are some quick tips on getting your home ready to sell during the holidays…
1. Clean it up… both inside and out, make sure to declutter more than you think is needed. In order to add decorations, a tree, some tasteful snowmen on the fireplace, there needs to be space!
2. Keep it simple… be selective, you’ll need to pack most of your decorations in the move so be ruthless and pick with a purpose. You need to still show your home is spacious and leave as much floor space as possible.
3. Depersonalize… As you take down excess family photos on the mantle, be sure that you aren’t replacing them with personal Christmas decorations.
4. Classic decorations… white lights, a wreath, and holiday scents are more than enough to fill your home with festive cheer!
5. Use decorations to highlight your home… light the fire if you have a cozy fireplace, put up a tall tree if you have soaring ceilings. Ask yourself the question, does this decoration add to the home buyer experience? If it detracts or demonstrates your room isn’t as big as you wish it were, keep them packed!
6. Lastly, DO NOT leave your presents under the tree… you never know who might have sticky fingers and it’s just not worth finding out if they do!
And there we have it, some tips to follow our TOP 5 REASONS for putting your home on the market this holiday season.