While late spring and early summer are the most popular times to put a home on the market, selling your home during the holidays could be a real gift. Serious buyers are always looking and there’s less competition with fewer properties up for sale. Plus, buyers are often looking for a quick sales process.
So, let’s talk about getting your home ready to go on the market. That process is really different this time of year.
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? CURB APPEAL
The lawn is dead, the trees are bare and there’s not a daisy in sight. That doesn’t mean your home can’t have amazing curb appeal in the winter.
Keep it clean: Make sure the outside area is tidy. Pull weeds, pick up sticks and remove any fallen leaves. Make sure your driveway and the path to the front door are clear and safe.
Picture this: Post photos of your home taken in the spring and summer so potential buyers can see what it looks like during other seasons. Also, have professional pictures taken of your home BEFORE you decorate for the holidays. Spring for drone photos if you can. That unique perspective can really set your listing apart from the others.
DECK THE HALLS… JUST NOT TOO MUCH
One person’s expression of their Christmas spirit could be another’s Clark Griswold nightmare. Decorating your home for the holidays can make it look warm and inviting as long as you don’t over do it.
Seasonal theme: Decorate using items that represent the season instead of religion. Displaying your treasured nativity scene collection may bring you joy, but it can also make your home look cluttered. Put out a beautiful bowl of pine cones, hang an evergreen wreath, plug in a pumpkin spice oil diffuser.
Complement your decor: If your living room is blue, instead of putting up red and green decorations choose complementary colors like silver and white. That goes for the outside of your home as well. Hang lights that make your home fit for a holiday gala, not an ugly sweater party.
Don’t cover your home’s best features: Instead of a broad, eight-foot tree in front of your bay window, consider choosing a smaller, thinner tree that won’t block your view or overpower the room. Matching stockings hung with care can accentuate an elegant fireplace, while 12 mis-matched homemade stockings can make it look cluttered.
LET IT SELL, LET IT SELL, LET IT SELL
Now is not the time to test the market’s limits. Price your home to sell. Look closely at the comps your broker pulls for you. If your home truly has the most updates and best lot in the neighborhood, price it accordingly. If you never got around to redoing the 1985 kitchen, factor that in (the buyer certainly will).
Interest rates are more than double what they were last year. Someone buying a $500,000 home now will pay about $900 more a month. If you are financially able, consider offering a home loan to potential buyers. They would save money, you would earn some, it’s a win-win.
Getting your home ready to put on the market may not bring peace to your little place on Earth; it’s still a lot of work. But just think of being in your dream home for the holidays next year and that will bring joy to your world.