Home Selling: Tips for Appealing to Buyers During the Holidays

Entry #346, December 2, 2010

A year ago at this time, my husband and I were in the process of moving after 8 long months with our home on the market. While moving on Christmas Eve was not the ideal situation, we were glad that we finally made the move.

Selling your home during the holidays is tough, due to consumers penny pinching for holiday expenses and the cold weather slowing down house hunting. Although, I can attest that their are always home buyers out there, and if you follow a few simple tips, your offer may be closer than you think. Here’s a post from the archives, on selling your home at the holidays.

You can still make your home appealing to buyers..

Original Entry #13, December 1, 2009

One of the hardest and frustrating times to sell your home… is at the holidays. Why? Since the holidays are usually based around traditions, and family, home sellers want to be able to relax. Throw up 1 million lights on the front of the house, and have a good ‘ol Griswold Lampoon’s Christmas.  The fact is, your home still needs to stay marketable… that is, if you still want it to sell. Read on for some tips on keeping your holiday mood, even when your house is on the market during the season to be jolly…

Still stage your home for holiday potential home buyers

Keep it Simple:

Even though the yearly tradition in your neighborhood is to put out the 30 Christmas inflatables in the front yard. Fight the urge while your house is on the market. The same rules apply year around, keep it simple.

• Decorations: Decor should still show off the amenities of your home. Space, views, and clean environment are what make home buyers feel welcome. Try to keep extreme personalization to a minimum. Photographs, and other collectibles may be a turn off to some buyers. The more holiday neutral you make the atmosphere, the more the buyer can focus on the house. This is the reason you are selling it, right?

Keep focused:

Home buyers still look at homes during the holidays, believe it or not. Especially, military families, re-locations, and newly engaged couples are not phased by the calendar. This means that the same intent that you had in July, needs to remain in December. Visit your local home improvement store, or watch home improvement channels that have creative ways to bring in holiday cheer, without taking away from your home. Consider having holiday open houses on the weekends, and have refreshments, and holiday music playing while people walk through your home. Often times, a house might be the perfect gift on someone’s holiday wish list. Be prepared, buyers are ready… are you?

For more holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.