Selling your home during the holidays? Here are 10 tips to help.
1 – Do decorate! Hang up your lights, put up your tree, and decorate your banisters. That said, don’t go overboard.
2 – Add a pop of color with a door wreath and entrance decorations. A wreath is a great way for your home to make a great first impression.
3 – DON’T panic when showings pump the brakes. Buyers have families too, but they are still actively looking online.
4 – Make sure your home has a great online presence. Like with #3, buyers are looking online while they are away or with their families. Often this is the time they virtually show their family members the houses they’re considering! Pictures and video are incredibly important, and how your realtor markets you online is critical.
5 – Turn on all the lights, even those on the Christmas tree. The days are shorter now, and many buyers house shop after work when it’s already dark. The best way to make your home feel welcoming is to let there be light. This tip will also change the entire nature of your showing. If lights are on and realtors don’t have to struggle to find out which switch goes to which room, they can enter and start showing your home immediately. The first impression will also be entirely different than if they enter in the dark.
6 – Use scent sprays with caution. As much as you may love that cinnamon apple spice, be mindful that not all buyers will agree.
7 – If you choose to have a real tree, be sure to clean up after it. Watch for needles on the ground, etc.
8 – If you really want to make your house move, make it known that you’re willing to do a quick closing and get a potential buyer in before the major holidays, or even end of the year. Lots of people have to buy before the new year for tax purposes, and not everyone is willing to be so flexible during the holidays.
9 – Do you live for baking holiday cookies? Make a small batch before a showing, and leave them out with some festive napkins. Cliché? Perhaps. Effective? Yes!
10 – Finally, you CAN create blackout times. You always want to show your home as much as possible, and make it easily accessible, but if you can’t have your home open for an evening when you have family coming in, it’s ok.
For more information, call the Amy Cherry Taylor & Associates Customer Service Line 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 540-632-2824, or reach me directly at 703-577-0135. Thanks for reading!
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