Can you sell your home over the holidays and STILL handle showings PLUS enjoy the festive events with the family? Well, yes, but a little pre-planning may help you get through it.
First of all, communicate closely with your real estate agent to let him/her know what your schedule will be, such as when you have parties or dinners planned. The agent can adjust showing instructions to accommodate that schedule. However, this might be the year to not fill the calendar too full, so you don’t miss too many opportunities to have the home shown.
Don’t bring out ALL the decorations. Keep them to a minimum … the KISS system. You can still give the home a seasonal look, without adding to the clutter. If you typically put up a large tree, you might want to pass on that this year, since often the tree requires moving furniture closer together and may block a window view. Perhaps, you can instead buy a small (3-4 ft) tree to accent the area. You won’t want your rooms to seem cramped and small.
Another reason to keep your decorations at minimum is that you don’t want the buyer to get the impression that you’re ENTRENCHED until the end of the year. It’s mid-November now, so a buyer may want to move in BEFORE Christmas so they can spend it in their new home. Having a tree with some packages underneath, sends a silent signal that YOU plan to be in the home on Christmas morning.
Do buyers actually buy homes over the holidays? ABSOLUTELY, YES! The Friday-Saturday after Thanksgiving can be busy showing days. People planning to relocate from another area might be in town to visit family, and want to select a home during those days. Local people may have those days off work, so they can fit the showings into their schedule during their “vacation” days. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is often busy with showings. Many agents have stories about putting homes in-contract on Christmas Eve. One year, I spent the better part of New Year’s Eve presenting a contract to my sellers, writing up a counter offer, and getting the counter back to the buyer’s agent. We put it into contract by New Year’s Day afternoon.
Remember, buyers shopping over the holidays
ARE SERIOUS BUYERS!
Here’s another reason the buyer may want to actually close on the home before the end of the year. They may want the tax deduction for 2008, rather than risk changes to the tax laws with the new political regime, which is an unknown at this point.
The holidays can be stressful under normal situations. If you keep it simple, plan ahead, be flexible, you’ll get through it … and you just might get your home sold! Now, won’t that be a great present!
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What great advice – holiday showings are generally a great way to bring the buyer into a home and have instant emotional attachment to the home – Sellers are in great hands with you.
Yes, Thesa, if not overdone, a home can look wonderfully warm and friendly during the holidays.
Hi Elaine, I always tell my sellers that winter shoppers are serious buyers. I like your suggestion about not gettting our ALL the decorations. Sometimes they can mask the house.
Fur Shure! It’s too cold to “just be looking”!