Tips for Putting Your Home in the Market During the Holidays

The holiday season from November through January is often thought of as the worst time to place a home on the market. While selling your home during the winter may dampen your holiday spirit, it does have its advantages: holiday buyers can be more serious and competition is less brutal with fewer homes being actively sold. So first, decide if you really need to sell and then follow these tips.

1. 1. Deck the halls, but don’t go above and beyond.
      Homes for sale often look their best during the holidays, but their sellers should be careful not to overdo the decorating. Adornments that are too big or too many can crowd your home and befuddle buyers. Opt for general fall and winter decorations rather than those with religious themes.
   2. Hire a reliable real estate agent.
      Someone who will work hard for you and will not disappear during events like Thanksgiving or Christmas. If possible, ask for recommendations from friends or family. This will relieve your stress and give you more time to appreciate the season.
   3. Look for motivated buyers.
      Anyone house hunting in the holidays will most likely have a good reason for doing so. Work with your real estate agent to find buyers on a deadline, including families relocating for jobs in your area, investors on tax deadlines, and more.
   4. Price it to sell.
      Remember, it doesn’t matter what time of year; a home that’s priced low for the market will attract buyers. Rather than slowly making small price reductions, a lot of real estate agents advise sellers to reduce their prices before putting a home on the market.
   5. Make sure to make curb appeal a top priority.
      When fall rolls around and the leaves begin to fall, maintaining the outside of your home becomes more important. Bare trees mean a more exposed home, so make sure to touch up paint, clean gutters and spruce up the yard. Always keep your buyers’ safety in mind by making sure stairs and walkways are free of snow, ice and leaves.
   6. Take winning real estate photos.
      When the weather is unpleasant, homebuyers are likely to start their house search by browsing listings on the Internet. Take advantage of it my making a good first impression. Offer plenty of flattering, high-quality photos of your house. If possible, have a summer or spring photo of your home uploaded, too.
   7. Create a video tour for the Web.
      You’ll get less foot traffic during the holidays so shoot a video tour to attract house hunters who don’t have time to physically see your home or would rather not drive in a snowstorm.
   8. Give house hunters a place to escape from the cold.
      Make your home feel cozy and inviting during showings by turning up the heat, playing soft music and offering homemade treats. When you encourage buyers to spend more time in your home, you also give them more time to admire its best features.
   9. Offer holiday cheer in the form of financing.
      Lenders are scrooges these days, but if you’ve got the means, then why not offer a home loan to a serious buyer? You could get a good rate of return on your money.
   10. Relax — the new year is just around the corner.
       The holidays are stressful enough with gifts to buy, dinners to prepare and relatives to entertain. Take a moment to remind yourself that if you don’t sell now, there’s always next year, which, luckily, is only a few days away.

In order to ring in a stress-free new year and enjoy the upcoming winter holidays, you’ve got to get into the holiday spirit and join your community in ushering in the merry season.

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