Holiday season is a great time to sell your home

Let’s say you have made the big decision — you want to sell your home.

There could be thousands of reasons — you need a bigger home, a smaller one; you want more yard space or less to mow.

Whatever the reason — you have made the decision to sell at some point. Now if it just wasn’t winter and Christmastime.

Your better judgment might be telling you that you should just wait until spring to put your house on the market because who wants to look at homes during the busy, hectic, snowy, cold and family time around the holidays?

You might be surprised, but here are some good reasons to consider putting your house on the market right now:

• When we have snow all around and the cold is nipping at you everywhere, if a buyer is looking, they are most likely serious homebuyers. If they put up with all of that, plus all of the extra busy things around Christmas — they are serious.

• Many of your neighbors will be having family and friends over for parties; if they love the neighborhood and see your for sale sign, you might just get some interested buyers.

• Showing may actually be easier than you think. If the kids are home for the holidays, with the grandkids — enlist them to help pick it up before showings. If you have little ones around yourself — tell them that Santa loves an extra clean room this time of year. If you are going to be visiting others — that is the best — just set it and forget it. Your house will be always ready for showings

• Many people get Christmas bonuses and some will likely plan to use theirs as a down payment; get those folks interested now, while they have the money.

• You don’t have to worry about any yard maintenance or up-keep because your yard is likely dead, and full of snow.

• People are generally happy during the holiday season —happy people make happy homebuyers.

• The majority of folks will think this is a bad time to sell a home so they will take their homes off the market or wait to put them on the market. This means you will have much less competition.

• Buyers are more emotional during the holidays so they are more likely to pay your price.

• Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than they do during a working week — they take off stored up vacation days.

• Companies may be hiring in January and employees begin new jobs. New jobs — maybe more money — “Honey let’s buy a new house!”

• Let’s face it, some days are just not good to show the house when you are going to have company. Just say no thanks to the showing request — if they love the look of your house, they will come back.

• You can sell now and ask for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year.

• By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring when there are many more houses on the market for you to choose from, causing those sellers to be more aggressive with their price.

This will allow you to sell high and buy low.

• Christmas houses can smell delicious. Remember to back “early and often”! Fill your house with all kinds of smells — the senses are alive and well with buyers. A house that smells wonderful will sell wonderful.

• You can always ask Santa for a ready, willing and able buyer.

Merry Christmas from RE/MAX 1 and the Ronding Team!

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