It can be a hassle to have your home on the market over the holidays for a variety of reasons . . . with that said, there are some real advantages that may outweigh the negatives.
Although there will be more buyers out and active after the first of the year, the ones who are out in the wet and the cold right now tend to be really motivated to buy. Holiday house hunters usually either need a place to live, fast, or they need to close escrow on their new home by year's end for tax reasons. Having your home on the market over the holidays is one way to try to capitalize on the urgency this season's motivated buyers face due to their circumstances.
If you are "showing" for the holidays, then make sure your home is staged at it's holiday best. That means that your decorations need to be tasteful, ethic neutral, and unobtrusive. Do not use any decorations that make a room seem smaller, and only use an appropriately-sized tree that fits into a room without blocking any access. Be careful to not hide your fireplace mantle under decorations, but just to use enough to enhance it's appeal. If you have a dining room, stage it for a holiday dinner - many a buyer has bought a whole house around their holiday dinner fantasies. Help buyers visualize their first holiday hosted at their new home.
Google+
Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Zid Realty & Associates is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® Equal Housing Opportunity