Selling a Home
During the Holidays…
T
he holiday season is upon us and with it comes much joyfulness and
opportunities to entertain our friends and family. It can be a time of much
happiness and it can also be one fi lled with stress. Selling a home during the
holidays can bring challenges that are a little different from selling a home at other
times of the year. I am often asked by sellers if they should take their home off the
market during the holidays as they think it might be too stressful and it won’t sell.
My though is that it may be one of the best times to sell a home. Here’s a few
reasons why:
• Buyers are out looking for homes year-round. Many of them want or
need to close escrow by the end of the year.
• Out of area or transferred buyers use their vacation time to look for a
new home.
• Since many homes are taken off the market, your home becomes more
visible to buyers, giving you a better chance to fi nd home in contract.
• Many buyers search for a home to try and be in the new home for either
Christmas or New Years.
• A festive, but tasteful holiday de´cor may help a buyer see themselves
making their own memories in your home.
Do I Decorate the Home for the Holidays?
Many people enjoy holiday lights and a festive atmosphere during the holidays. The
neighborhoods look cheery and inviting. But the question is — should you put your
holiday decorations up or should you go without them?
First and foremost, you home needs to appeal to a wide range of buyers. So keep
in mind that all buyers do not celebrate the holidays the same.
Adding festive decorations to your home, although very inviting, can take-up
space, making the rooms look much smaller. Large decorations need to be kept in
larger rooms where they can be an accent and not distract from the rooms usefulness
in accommodating furniture. Bottom-line, you want buyers to picture themselves
living there.
So, keep it simple. Do not overcrowd every room with decorations. Buyers will
spend their time looking at the decorations and may not get the feeling that they
would like to live there. They may feel that the home is cramped and not large
enough for their family. Less is definitely more in this case.
The best rule of thumb is to remember that your home is on display and the
purpose is to sell it. Keep it simple, tasteful and elegant. And enjoyable to everyone.
Most importantly, I wish you a wonderful holiday season
and a very happy New Year!
Teri Nelson, Realtor
Intero Real Estate Services
408.425.5200
BRE#00858151