Spring and summer are traditionally the most popular seasons for selling a home(and home browsing). Temperate weather, longer days — and the desire for buyers to be in a new home before “BBQ season” — provides serious “juice” to the real estate market. Other times of the year can also be good reasons to sell. Read below to find out some of those reasons.
A common belief about selling a home has been that listing a home in the spring and summer will ensure the “most fish” for the bait you set. But it’s important to remember you aren’t the only “fisherman” out there and there is likely to be more competition during this time.
In the spring and summer there are more homes being listed, giving potential buyers the license to be picky and take their time with a listing. In addition, with so many houses available, this requires more effort and strategizing to make a property stand out. Although in today’s 2021 market, things are a bit different because listings are unusally low.
1.What the holiday season offers is the chance to emerge as the best (if not only) good option out there. One of the cornerstones of selling your home is initiating enough interest for consumers to take the first step. Less competition goes a long way towards stacking the deck; people house hunting during the holidays want to make a purchase sooner rather than later.
With less options to choose from and a cheerier, more pleasant time of year serving as the backdrop — the advantage often goes to the one bold enough to sell a house during this unexpected time.
2. Winter sales are often quicker. If you were afraid the cooler weather might adversely affect the housing market, you can breathe easy. According to a 2013 study by Redfin, the chance of selling a home in the winter held steady at 65% — higher than any other time of year. On top of that, homes sold from December 21st to March 21st actually went off the market closest to the original asking price and spent the lowest number of days on the market. The fall, including the time around Thanksgiving, sees those numbers drop a little, down from 65% to 57% with an average of 34 days on the market. But as a property moves toward spring, according to the study, the potential for a solid, financial gain from a home sale remains steady.
3. Flexible schedules
Many Americans take a majority of their paid (and unpaid) vacation days between the week before Thanksgiving and the arrival of Christmas. While this period of time can be hectic and busy — there’s all that turkey to eat and football to watch — there’s still quite a bit of downtime for most folks during the holidays.
This can serve a seller well. It can offer you an opportunity to perform upgrades on a property you might not normally have time for. You’ll have the flexibility to clean and maintain a property, not to mention, staging the home in a more festive and pleasing manner.
This sudden influx of “free time” gives would-be homebuyers the chance to peruse your property beyond “usual” viewing times. Instead of waiting for weekends to display a property, or after work, you can set showings during the week — the day after Thanksgiving is a popular choice — which means more eyes and more opportunities for someone to make an offer.
4. Leverage the holiday spirit
As the old sales axiom goes, before selling a home: “People buy on emotion, and back up with logic.” And there may be no more powerful emotional pull than the feelings associated with winter holidays.
As anyone who’s bought (or sold) a property will tell you: emotion is a big part of the transaction. Sure, the numbers have to match; but so do those sub-conscious, emotional factors that many homebuyers aren’t even aware of. One thing I tell all my buyer’s is not to underestimate to power of their “gut feeling”. This can be a hugely important part of whether or not a person really can see themselves living in the home.
By aligning your property with an existing holiday motif — which can often be done in a matter of a few hours — you can ensure your property makes a great first impression. From the music, to the lights, to time spent with family ( even that inflatable snowman that seems to crop up in every neighborhood) the holidays are imbued with symbolism and imagery that many of us respond to powerfully, if subconsciously. And it’s not only residential neighborhoods that get in on the act; many cities go “all-out” to provide a festive ambiance downtown, in parks, and in locales frequented by residents.
One question you may be asking is: how much holiday decorating should I do when I plan to sell my home?
One thing that happens to all homeowners is that we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. This is especially true of holiday decorations. As you begin decorating, channel your inner stager or designer. This year, for the sake of appealing to the buyers touring your home, use your best decorations as holiday accents without drawing attention away from your home’s best-selling features.
Your home may have large windows with a great view or an expansive kitchen fit for a chef. Whatever sold you on your home when you first bought it is most likely the same feature(s) that will sell your home during the holidays. Don’t cover up your view with an excessively large Christmas tree and avoid filling your living room in snow globes, nutcrackers, and a large nativity scenes while your home is listed for sale. You will want to accentuate your home with holiday decor, not bury it.
Before you list your home for sale remember that holiday decor can help prospective homebuyers imagine your house as their future home. If you have a fireplace, decorate it with garland and hang stockings from the mantle. Use can use light candles and essential oil diffusers with iconic scents of the season, such as pumpkin spice or balsam and cedar. Just remember that less is more! You do not want to overwhelm home buyer’s with scents that are overpowering. You especially want to keep your home clutter-free and need to clean it regularly. Belongings can easily begin to pile up during the holidays, so make sure you stay on top of it. Create an environment that makes prospective homebuyers feel comfortable and warm the moment they walk through your front door. You want them to feel at home.
Consider working with a professional home stager before selling your home, so you can create the perfect holiday look to help your home stand out from the competition.
5. A New Year means new jobs and people on the move
The end of the year is not just for shopping-mall excursions and too many servings of pumpkin pie. It’s also when many businesses throughout the US offer positions to new employees. (In the hopes they can have their “new team” set up for the new year.
If there’s one sector of holiday home buyers who are highly motivated, it’s the individual and/or family relocating due to a new job. The good news: job relocation buyers want an expedited closing proces and job relocation buyers want an expedited closing process.
So, if you’ve got your ducks in a row and you have prepared for the sale of your home — and you’re ready to move on quickly — then tapping into this powerful time of year to sell your house can be a benefit to getting a sale.
If you do have trouble selling your home during the holidays, be sure your house isn’t still rocking holiday lights in the listing photos come February or March, or you risk turning off potential homebuyers.
Speak to your local, trusted real estate profession. She or he will be able to ensure you have professional pictures, price the home correclty, and have the support you need during the home sale process. Selling a home can be stressful and confusing, and a real estate professional can help ensure a smooth transaction.
All this does not mean that selling your home during the holidays is a guarantee, but if the timing of your sale or buy is during the holiday season, don’t fret. There are some great reasons why selling your home (or buying a home) during this time can be a great experience!
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