Deck the Halls

Are you planning to sell your home soon? Should you wait until after the New Year to put your house on the market? Or, if you already have it on the market, should you take it off the market for the holidays?

If you can afford to miss the most driven, motivated and qualified home buyers of the year, yes. If you are serious about getting your house sold, no.

It’s a fact—there are fewer buyers during the holidays, which is why most sellers will take their house off the market or wait until after the holidays to put their house on the market. This creates a shortage of inventory for the serious buyers in December. For some buyers, the holiday may be the only time they have off work to look at homes. Relocation buyers have to find a house in a time crunch.

You don’t need more buyers—you need the right buyer. If you are serious about selling, you want to be selling when there is less competition and the buyers are motivated and serious.

Plus, your home looks best when fully decorated. Decorate with all the colors of the season. Colors evoke emotions so choose red, yellow or orange to add warmth and excitement, and use green to evoke a feeling of security in a new beginning. Be careful to not block hallways or shrink rooms with giant trees or elaborate displays.

In the yard, add curb appeal with a few poinsettias or other winter-color plants to put a smile on the buyers’ faces when they drive up. The days are shorter, and buyers are often looking after work at dusk and after sunset, so add some lights on timers and turn them on at dusk for buyers driving the neighborhood.

When the buyers enter the house, you want it to be cozy and inviting, so turn the thermostat up a couple degrees to make it warm and homey for showings. If you have a fireplace, turn it on or set an artificial log ablaze.

Lots of light makes rooms look bigger and cheerier. Since winter sunlight is weaker than the summer sun, clean the windows and store the screens in the garage, replace the light bulbs with the highest wattage ratings for safe operation, and turn them all on to make the rooms as large as they can be.

Simmer some spiced cider or holiday stovetop potpourri before the buyers arrive to make your house smell delicious. But don’t forget to turn off the stove if you leave the house. Never leave a lit stove unattended, and make sure you keep plenty of water in the pot so it doesn’t boil dry and burn. If you can’t be home in time to light the stove, put the potpourri in a crockpot and let it simmer on low while you are away.

A plate of cookies on the counter with some holiday napkins nearby stimulates a welcome feeling, which is what you want the buyers to feel in your home. A little card inviting them to enjoy a cookie makes them feel at home.

The only way to attract the right buyer any time of year is by being on the market and making your house appealing, so enjoy the holidays and decorate it for successful selling.