Contrary to popular belief, selling your home during the holiday season isn’t necessarily a negative thing. You can make the busy-ness and festive nature of this time of year work to your advantage to showcase the best features of your home.
With all the activity crammed into the end of the year, many sellers will decide to postpone putting their homes on the market until mid-January or early spring. This could be the best time for you to dive in knowing there’s less competition. Add to that this fact: people shopping for a new home during the holiday season are usually serious shoppers.
Think Warm and Welcoming
A longing for home and nostalgia mark this time of year when the days are short and the nights are cold. Very often, home buyers will need to tour your home during the evening hours, so give them a reason to come in:
Light up the night without going overboard. There’s no need to shun outside decorations just because your home is for sale. Simple strands of white lights framing the door or along the edge of the roof are suitable, as are tasteful wreaths and greenery. However, you may want to save the blinking lights and large inflatable yard decorations until next year. Lights along the sidewalk leading to your main entryway are also a good idea esthetically as well as for safety purposes.
Put a fire in the fireplace if you have one. Nothing draws people in like the warm glow of a fire. If you don’t have one, you can still create a warm, cozy atmosphere by turning up the heat a little bit more and lighting candles to cast the same soft glow. No one feels at home in a cold place, so this is one area you don’t want to ignore when your home is being shown to potential buyers.
Set your dining room table as if you were having a holiday dinner. This is a common home-staging technique that gives buyers a sense of what it might be like for them if your home was their home. People like to be able to envision themselves having their own holiday get-togethers with family and friends.
Indoor decorations, like those on the exterior of your home, should be low key. Too much holiday cheer could turn off some buyers.
Think Small and Subtle
Appeal to your visitors’ sense of smell by having seasonal scents throughout your home, without offending those with sensitive noses. Bake sugar cookies prior to their arrival so the scent is still lingering in the air, or simmer some cinnamon sticks or apple cider on the stove. Lightly scented candles in the bathroom and dining room are also appealing.
Accent each room with small seasonal décor such as pinecones, rich jewel-colored pillows or simple greenery.
Think Outside the Box
Everyone loves a party, so consider asking your realtor to have a holiday-themed open house. Serve attendees cookies with hot chocolate or cider.
Don’t let unpredictable weather or schedules hamper your efforts to get the word out about your home. Showings may be cancelled at the last minute at this time of year, so use social media and online home selling sites to help keep your listing in front of buyers.
The important thing to remember when selling your home during the holidays is to keep things tasteful and not tacky.
