Whilst the holiday season is a busy time of year — in between celebrations, school vacations, work, and family time — if you are currently selling or thinking about selling your home, the holiday season does have its strategic advantages. Here are our top 8 tips for selling your home during the holiday season.
Tip #1 – Timing Is Key
The span of time from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the weekend after Christmas is potentially a high-volume period for open houses.
Competition tends to be less fierce, with fewer homes being actively marketed, as many home sellers take a holiday hiatus until the New Year. Not only this, but buyers who are actively taking the time to look at homes in between busy schedules during the holiday season tend to be more serious than others.
Clear your schedule as much as possible to accommodate potential buyers and make sure you and your real estate agent are clear about acceptable showing times.
Tip #2 – Decorate, Yet Don’t Go Overboard
Being festive with a little bit of decorating can actually be helpful for the sale of your house as it brings a certain joyous feeling — yet don’t go overboard. Poorly maintained, tacky, or overly religious displays can be a turnoff for potential buyers. Keep the seasonal decorations simple, neutral, and easy to maintain.
Minimizing decorations will make your home feel more spacious, yet also bring that sense of a warm, welcoming festive spirit that will make your buyers feel comfortable and right at home the minute they walk through your door.
Decorations can not only give off a warm, comfortable vibe, yet lights can also. Replace some of your lights with brighter bulbs to add more light for evening showings and make sure your house is well lit, again minimally, with classy holiday lights, to really show off your house in its best light.
Tip #3 – Let Your House Shine Bright
Decorations can not only give off a warm, comfortable vibe, yet lights can also. Replace some of your lights with brighter bulbs to add more light for evening showings and make sure your house is well lit, again minimally, with classy holiday lights, to really show off your house in its best light.
Tip #4 – Learn To Give A Little
Not everyone celebrates the same holidays, so you may be asked to show on days you normally wouldn’t want to. Be prepared to be in the holiday spirit and welcome people into your home, even when it’s not convenient. You never know, you may be closing the sale of your house and celebrating your success, whilst everyone else is still hanging up their stockings!
Tip #5 – Keep It Warm And Cozy
If it’s cold outside, keep the heat up to a comfortable level or even put on the fireplace if you have one, so your house feels warm, festive, and cozy to your prospective buyers. You can make it so warm and cozy that they’d prefer to stay inside and enjoy the pleasure of looking around your house to purchase, rather than go outside!
Tip #6 – Bake Festive Treats
Brewing a fresh pot of coffee or eggnog, baking some holiday cakes or cookies, or even adding a subtle Christmas tree scent that matches the season is a nice welcoming touch where the aroma permeates throughout your entire home. Mmmmmmmm!
Tip #7 – Have A Holiday Party
Whilst there is always a lot to do around the holiday season, throwing a house party can be a great way to showcase your house to friends, family, neighbors, and other friends that they invite also. Chances are that there may be at least one person at the party who is looking for a new home, or they know of someone who is.
Tip #8 – Relax And Be In The Aloha Spirit!
At the end of the day, take a minute to remind yourself to relax, celebrate, and enjoy the holiday season. Whether you sell your house or not, what matters is that you and your family are happy and grateful in this moment for all that you have, and all this is coming your way as it is the season of Aloha Spirit! Mele Kalikimaka, and may all your dreams come true!
For All Real Estate Inquiries This Holiday Season…
Please get in touch with Dave Futch on 808-280-9600 or via email at davefutch@hawaiilife.com. He’d love to hear from you!
Leave your opinion here. Please be nice. Your Email address will be kept private, this form is secure and we never spam you.