The topic of selling your home during the holidays is a debate that has been discussed over and over again. It is a tricky situation that can have its advantages and disadvantages.
Taking it off the market for a month or so makes your life, as a seller, easier, but what if you miss the opportunity to have your house go under contract because of a decision you made?
Selling A Home During The Holidays
The choice is a pretty big one for a homeowner. At my house, for most big decisions, we lay out the pros and cons on a piece of paper so that we can have all of the information we think we need to confidently decide on something. So with this in mind, below are the pros and cons for selling your home during the holidays.
Some suggestions are made along the way, as well, should you decide to keep it on the market. These tips simply help you continue to make it more sell-able to buyers who might want to see the home during this hectic time.
When you lay out the pros and cons on paper, the “pro” category is always first so, in the spirit of keeping with tradition, we will do the same. First and foremost, there will be less competition. In a recent survey by Realtor.com, when asked about this very topic, 61% of the realtors surveyed stated that leaving a home on the market is an advantage to home owners. Fewer homes for sale mean fewer choices for buyers.
Holiday Home Shoppers Are Serious About Buying!
Another advantage is that buyers who want to walk through homes on the market during the holidays are serious buyers. In the same study mentioned earlier, 79% of the realtors felt that buyers looking for a home are serious about buying no simply looking. These people, for the most part, are people who need to move. Some of the potential buyers might even be people, in town visiting family and friends who are planning to relocate to the area for the first time or even moving “back” to the area.
Furthermore, homes for sale during the holidays are so warm and inviting to see. Outdoor decorations, if done properly, can easily entice buyers to want to see more. But, in terms of decorations, less is more. It is imperative that holiday decorations inside and out be simple, non-religious in nature for the most part, and not cluttering as they can so often be. For the tree, make sure the tree does not take over the room and use color coordinating ornaments and wrapping for the packages. The whole idea is to make the home look like a “model home” not the Griswald’s home!!
Now that we have discussed some of the advantages, we need to look at the disadvantages or “cons” as we call them on paper. It is important to look at the reasons to take your home off the market. Sometimes, sellers are afraid they will look desperate and only attract buyers who want to make ridiculously low ball offers. This is easy to combat if it happens by simply rejecting an offer which then gets the point across to the agents representing these buyers that there is no desperation involved. Agents are well aware if a home is priced right and will convey that to their clients.
Always Be Ready For A Showing Even During The Holidays!
Secondly, and a big one for me as a home owner who has sold several homes, sellers need to have the home ready to show at a moment’s notice. With all the action and holiday entertaining during the holidays, it is so hard to keep your home perfectly neat, tidy and not cluttered. At the same time, just because it is the holidays you don’t get a free pass to a mess. The best and most liked homes are always perfectly staged and free of clutter to make the home more appealing.
This also goes back to making sure that you haven’t over decorated your home with every kind of holiday “doo-dad” you can find. One very important part of showing your home at this time is to have listings with top quality photos of the home at the other times of the year so that buyers can see what it normally looks like. This helps them look past the decorations to imagine what it might look like with their furnishings there.
Many sellers feel that just like them, buyers are enjoying their time with family and friends. Is it worth keeping the home on the market if no one is going to want to see it? This goes back to attracting only serious buyers. Even if you have fewer showings, you are going to have quality showings that can very well end up with a contract now or in the very near future.
New Listings During The Holidays Standout
On a side note, one very important advantage of taking your home off the market during the holidays is that after the first of the year, the house is relisted. When this happens, it is technically listed as a new listing which means much more exposure just as when you first listed the home for sale.
There are definitely pros and cons to keeping a home on the market during the holidays. It is truly a judgment call. No matter what you decide, feel good about your decision and know you made the right choice. But most of all have fun!! Remember it is a time for gathering with friends and family. Do not let yourself get caught up in the grind of selling your home.
This guest blog was provided by Real Estate Melbourne agent Mitch Ribak who also specializes in helping buyers purchase Palm Bay FL real estate and Port St. John real estate in Southern, Florida.
