‘Tis the Season … to Sell Your Home

Many buyers stop looking for a new home during the holiday season. There are many others though who have no choice – they must, for a number of reasons, keep searching for a new home.

While many sellers feel they would prefer not to be ‘disturbed’ during the holiday season, and will temporarily remove their homes from the market until the new year, it is recommend that sellers remain on the market during this time if at all possible.

• There are fewer buyers but, the competition is far less and you’ve got a better chance of selling during this season than waiting for the new years flood of new listings.
• Your home may very well be looking its best this time of year and people rarely ‘browse’ for homes during this time of year. The potential buyers who do visit your home are serious about buying and are often in a hurry to do so.

Further more, you have already done the work to constantly keep your home in showing order, to be prepared for a showing at a moment’s notice. Your efforts to reach out to potential buyers could pay off during this time!

Here are some tips for setting the stage for your holiday listing:

1. Place a clean, fresh welcome mat at the front door.

2. Minimize your holiday decorations – simple and tastefully selected decorations will give the buyer a ‘homely’ feeling without distracting their eyes from your home. All buyers do not celebrate the holidays in the same manner that you do so, give your home a warm feeling but, don’t overdo it.

3. Un-clutter or remove furniture to accommodate your decorations – you don’t want your home to feel smaller than it is because you’ve pushed your furniture together to accommodate that tree.

4. Make your home warm and welcoming with holiday scents.

5. Let in the light – raise your blinds and leave the lights on, and leave your Hi-Fi playing classical or jazz music softly during showings.

As you prepare your home for showings, ask yourself if you’ve appealed to all senses: visual, smell and sound.
Consider leaving them some season snacks to appeal to their sense of taste!