Wednesday, November 2, 2022 / by Abigail Smith
Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season
Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season
It is common knowledge in the real estate world that the spring months are the best time to market and sell your home. Demand is usually at its highest, buyers understand that the buying and moving in processes often take a few months to complete, and families will want to settle in before the new school year begins. The holiday season might not seem like the ideal time to sell, however there are benefits to selling your home at this time of the year.
- Inventory, the number of homes available to buyers, is usually low. Buyers will face more competition for a home, which may command a higher selling price.
- If a buyer is “in the market”, you can bet they are serious about purchasing a new home. There will be more serious buyers and less “we’re just looking” people.
- When holiday decorations are done with comfy and homey in mind, an emotional connection is easier to establish with potential buyers.
- Along with many people experiencing a job transfer opportunity, end-of-the-year tax considerations come into play
Low Inventory
Low inventory simply means more buyers and fewer sellers. Buyer competition could drive a home’s price upwards, putting even more money into your pocket. Another big advantage that comes during periods of low inventory is better terms. Buyers will more readily agree to your terms than make demands of their own. After all, when more than one buyer is interested, you always have the option of moving on to the next buyer that is more agreeable to the terms that you want.
Serious Buyers Only
When the weather is pleasantly warm and sunny, there are more open houses and there will be many people roaming the neighborhoods just to see what may be available, or hunting for decorating ideas for their own homes, or trying to get a “feel” for what their home may be worth if they decide to sell it. But when the holiday season rolls around, people are much more busy and don’t have the spare time to visit homes for sale just for the sake of seeing what’s out there. Holiday new home seekers are serious about buying.
Comfy and Homey
It stands to reason that your home needs to be thoroughly-cleaned and properly staged to show off its finer points. Instead of going great guns with your seasonal decorating, scale things back to create that less-is-more, cozy yet roomy impression. Perhaps select a skinnier Christmas tree this year that won’t dominate your living room. Another great tip when decorating is to avoid “personal” decorations, like named stockings, religious symbols, or your collection of this year’s Christmas cards from family and friends taped to the wall or mantel. Instead of creating holiday scenery, use the sense of smell. Bake cookies and pies and use small baskets of pinecones to emulate comfy and homey.
Electrical Outages
Another consideration when selling during the holiday season is power disruption. Winter storms can cause sudden power outages. Having a backup generator can keep you from having to cancel an important showing due to a loss of electricity. A portable generator is also something that you can take with you to your new home.
Don’t Keep Presents Under the Tree
It is sorry to say, but sometimes less than honest people present themselves as interested buyers with the sole intent of “collecting” a few Christmas gifts. Theft during open houses and showings is always a possibility. Store your presents in a safe location, a walk-in closet that can be locked, the trunk of your car, or even off-site at a relative’s house until showings are completed. Just don’t place them out in the open, under the tree, where they could be subject to theft.
Conclusion
Any time that demand exceeds inventory is a good time to sell. During the holiday season, it just stands to reason that there are fewer homes on the market. Serious buyers will take note of any new listing and act on it quickly to hopefully avoid competing with other buyers. It is not uncommon for bidding wars to break out, and as a seller, that could mean an above listing offer and even more money in your pocket.