Selling a house during the Holiday season is tricky, but not impossible. It’s the time of year when potential home buyers are focused on all things Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, not buying a new home. The few house hunters that are in the market to buy a new home during the Holiday season have the market in their favor, but you can tip the odds back in your favor and get the house sold during the Christmas season with these house selling tips.
Minimize Christmas Decorations
Home buyers want to see the home, inside and out, not an overload of Christmas decorations. Minimize the Christmas decorations to make the house look as big as possible. Scale down to a small Christmas tree and a few neutral decorations. Remember that fragrance also plays a big part in making a house feels like a home, a Christmas fragrance, such as cinnamon or spruce, will entice buyers while still adding to the Christmas cheer for the family trying to sell the home.
Make the House Appealing From the Curb
The exterior front of the house is the first thing potential home buyers will see, and they will form an opinion on the spot. Giving a house curb appeal in the dead of winter during the Holiday season is not as easy as it is during warm weather, but it is doable.
Rake the fallen leaves, shovel the snow from the walkways and remove all unnecessary pieces of furniture from the front porch. Remove dead flowers from outdoor containers and replace them with small evergreen shrubs and plants. Prune and shape overgrown shrubs located in the front of the house.
After the leaves have fallen from trees in the front yard, the house’s paint or siding is more visible from the curb. Make any exterior repairs and touch up exterior paint if needed.
Market the House and Price it to Sell
The internet is the home seller’s friend. Market the house online by uploading a virtual video tour of the house and post pictures of the home taken during spring and summer so potential home buyers can see what the landscaping looks like during warm weather.
When the need arises to sell a house during the Holiday season, there is no time for price haggling. Research what comparable homes have sold for in the immediate area to discover the fair market value of the house, then price the house for 10% less.
Whether attempting to sell the house on your own or using the services of a reputable real estate agent, employ these tips to get the house sold during the Holiday season - minimize Christmas decorations, add curb appeal, research neighborhood comparables, price the house to sell and use online venues to market the house.
Join the Conversation