How to sell your home effectively during the holiday season
It may come as a surprise to you, people are still buying houses during the holidays. I know, you’re thinking, “How can someone fit in house shopping with all the chaos of the holidays?” But, I assure you, many people are. If you’re looking to sell this holiday season, here are some tips to help you get it sold.
(1) Get a good Realtor
This may seem trite, coming from a real estate agent, but it’s true. Everyone, including your realtor, wants to spend time with the family during the holidays. So, you need to make sure that you have a reputable one. The last thing you want is to have a realtor that just disappears for large swaths of time – especially times that buyers want to look. When you’re looking for a realtor, make sure that you get recommendations, and talk to the realtor about holiday availability
(2) Decorate
Decorating your house is always a good idea for the holidays. People are looking to buy a home, and the decorations can really put your home’s best for forward. However, you probably don’t want to look like the crazy guy who goes all out. It’s likely to intimidate buyers. Instead, do a bit of decorating, but keep it simply, classy, and homey. Curb appeal is all important in real estate, so don’t make your home intimidating.
(3) Price it right
It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling during the holidays or during the spring, the price matters. Maybe eventually you can get your sell at the price you set, but it’s not always worth it. Sitting on a house that won’t sell can be frustrating. Pricing it to sell is your best choice for a happy holiday. Trying to sell your house is always stressful, and the holidays bring their own stress. So, if you want to stay sane, just price it to sell.
(4) Holiday open house
A nice holiday open house can go a long way to selling your home. Everybody loves Christmas cookies, so feel free to make a nice little spread. Also, nobody likes being cold! It you make sure that your home is nice and toasty, you visitors are likely to stay longer. If you have a fireplace, this is always a nice holiday touch! Just like you, they don’t want to walk back out into the cold. Winter mornings it takes me an hour to convince myself to get out from under the blankets, make your house that cozy!
(5) Take good photos
This is another one of the year-round truisms of real estate, but photos are a must. Make sure that you get the best possibly photos of the house. Feel free to light up the fire place for your living room shot, or show off the kitchen with a few wellplaced decorations. People don’t like a house that has sat on the market forever! Some nice timely Christmas photos will make your listing feel current, and it will make your house feel homey. ••• You can sell your home during the holidays, so don’t chicken out! If you’re going to try to sell during this season, make sure that you follow these tips. Hopefully you’ll sell that house, and bring a little holiday cheer. If not, the new year is just around the corner! Maureen Hughes is the Lead Listing Specialist of The Wayne Megill Real Estate Team of Keller Williams Brandywine Valley in West Chester. For buyer or seller representation, or for more perspective on the local and national real estate market, please email maureenhughes@ kw.com and visit The Wayne Megill Team site at http://www. waynemegillteam.com