7 Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Selling your home during the holidays can be advantageous for many reasons - less competition with other homes for sale, buyers are more serious, decorated homes may show better, relocation buyers or family from out of town may be thinking of moving into the area.  Here are some tips to keep in mind if you choose to put your home up for sale during the last few months of the calendar year -

1. DECORATE your home with the holidays in mind - tastefully add holiday decor to your home, while ensuring buyers can still envision their own family enjoying holiday celebrations in your home next year.


2. Keep your home at a COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE for showings.  It can get cold during winter months, so ensure your thermostat is set at a comfortable temperature to make your home feel cozy and inviting.  If the home is too cold, buyers may not stay long enough to really get a sense of the home's layout and desirable attributes.


3. CURB APPEAL should be a top priority - keep leaves off the ground, maintain the exterior, ensure walkways are free of debris and ice.


4. Make sure LIGHTS are in good working order inside and out.  There is less sun during these months and you want your home to feel bright and comfortable during the darker days.


5. PRICE TO SELL. A home that is priced low for the market will  make buyers feel merry!  You don't need to slash the list price too much below market value, but ensure it is attractive to potential buyers.  Buyers looking during this time of year are serious and they know that more inventory is coming soon after the beginning of the new year.


6. DAILY MAINTENANCE - keep the house ready for showings. Vacuum well and often to avoid the presence of tracked in mud, snow, leaves and other debris. 


7. WORK WITH BUYERS' AGENTS on showings - while you remain in control of when you make your home available for showings, try to make it convenient for buyers to see your home. People understand this is a very social time of year and will work with you to arrange for convenient showings.

If you've decided that you really need to sell during the holidays, I hope that you receive a holiday gift of a quick and easy sale of your home.