You may have heard that putting your home on the market during the holidays is pointless – most buyers will start looking in the new year or wait until the summer months. However, selling your home during the holidays can be a huge advantage.
Most people take their homes off the market during this time, which means your home is bound to stand out in a smaller market with serious buyers. How can you make the most of this advantage?
Here are some tips on what you can do to get a buyer's attention and sell your home during the holiday months.
Try these tips to get ready and sell during the holidays:
Clean and stage. “Before you decorate, your house needs to be staged,” is my best advice. If your living room is already piled high with clutter and collectibles, your ceramic reindeer collection is only going to add to the sense of overcrowding.
Create a cozy vibe. The less-is-more mantra of home staging may tempt you to forgo holiday cheer this year. But a few subtle touches like a bowl of pinecones, an evergreen wreath, or a pot of cider simmering on the stove can create a warm and festive feeling in your home.
Complement your palette. Before you start untangling your tinsel, make sure your holiday collection matches your current decor. If your living room is painted a soothing ocean-blue hue, skip the clashing red garland and opt for white snowflakes or a silver glass-ball wreath. If you’ve got an earthy color scheme, accent with rich tones like cranberries, forest greens and gold.
Accentuate the positive. Too many trimmings may distract buyers, but the right accessories can draw attention to your home’s best features. Dangle mistletoe in an arched doorway, or display your menorah on the ledge of a bay window; just don’t block a beautiful view with stick-on snowflake decals or clutter an elegant fireplace with personalized stockings.
Go light on lights. Step away from the inflatable snowman, Clark Griswold. One man’s “merry” is another man’s “tacky,” so tone down any garish light displays while your home is on the market. Use simple string lighting to highlight unique and interesting parts of your home’s architecture or draw attention to the gorgeous fir tree in your front yard.
Be an equal-opportunity decorator. Leave the life-sized Nativity scene in storage this year, because overtly religious flourishes may be off-putting to some buyers. “You want to keep neutrality throughout, so you can attract any type of buyer,” is my advice. Not sure what qualifies? No matter what your religion is, you’re not going to feel offended by a nutcracker.
Mind the tree. A tall Christmas tree can help you show off your two-story great room, but make sure the wide base won’t overwhelm the floor space. If your living area is on the small side, save space with a skinny tree. Swap the gaudy heirloom ornaments and trim your tree in a cohesive theme such as icicle lights and silver tinsel, for example, or blue and gold glass balls.
Clear the clutter. A few decorations can stir the holiday spirit, but don’t feel obliged to hang every last ornament. Remember less is more and you want to show off the size of your space. Limit yourself to a few hints of holiday flair, but stash the rest in the basement for now. If you start to miss your Santa figurines, just remember that with a little luck, you’ll be celebrating next year’s holidays in a new home. And you can decorate that place any way you please.
I am here to help and will always make time to talk. Contact me with any questions you have.
