5 Ways To Sell Your House Before Christmas

 

With only a few weeks ’til Christmas, the number one question on everybody’s mind is, “Can we sell our house in time for the holidays?”

One of the most dangerous things about holiday selling is that you have a specific deadline for selling your house. The good news is that there are also some very specific things you can do to stage and sell your home as quickly as possible.

In this blog, I’ll give you a Christmas-inspired step-by-step guide on how you can put your home on the market in no time.

 

While many people might consider curb appeal an expensive luxury, the truth is that it can make a huge difference in how you feel about your home and affect your property value.

Curb appeal is the first thing potential buyers see when they drive up. Replace dead plants, shrubs, flowers, and trees. Trim plants that need it. Keep your front yard walkway mowed and raked.

Next, examine the exterior of your property for any obvious flaws like peeling paint, rotting wood trim, gutters that need cleaning, or anything that needs fixing.

If you want to sell your house, it’s absolutely critical to make sure the exterior looks great. Even if the interior is in perfect condition, a dilapidated exterior will cross off most buyers’ lists before they even go inside.

 

Lighting can have a dramatic and positive impact on your home’s appearance during the dark months of winter.

Make your home look inviting and bright. The right lighting can give you a competitive advantage as the holidays approach. Seasonal decorations should set the right mood but lighting fixtures and lamps, with warm-toned lighting, can make a home feel cozy for the holidays.

Use outside lighting to create a welcoming entrance and showcase your home’s exterior features. By adding solar outdoor lighting, you can ensure that buyers can get the best possible look at your home even in the evening or on gloomy days.

 

Will your Christmas decorating ideas endear or put off buyers?  You shouldn’t have to put your decorating ideas aside just because your home is on the market.

Here are some decorating tips to keep in mind in a way that doesn’t overwhelm a buyer and adds to your home’s appeal: an overwhelming religious feeling may turn potential buyers off your home. Avoid cards and family photos in order to better protect your privacy. Avoid decorations that are too bright and anything inflatable.

Add nature’s elegance to your holiday decorations such as evergreen boughs – and bows – that are neutral or have a tasteful winter theme – white, burlap, silver, or gold.

Decorate with fruit, not just for Thanksgiving but all winter long. Bring winter indoors with fruit-filled decorating ideas that smell as good as they look. Pomegranates, apples, pears, and lemons make beautiful accents in every room.

Keep it simple, pretty, and fresh.

 

The first rule of staging and selling: depersonalize, declutter, and de-clutter. Remove all things that unmistakably mark a house as someone’s home – family pictures, clothes in the closet, your kid’s toys, etc.

You’ll also want to keep gifts out from under the tree while showing the home. This may go against your family tradition as some families would love to put gifts under the tree, but the main goal is for buyers to envision themselves in the home surrounded by Christmas decorations and a tree.

Seeing the potential of a home can help draw buyers in to make the final decision on buying.

 

While the decorative and aesthetic aspect of staging your home is important, all your effort will be useless if your house is not priced right.

Pricing your home right is critical to its success. Sellers who price their homes too high can see a low number of showings and end up leaving money on the table when they sell.

If it’s overpriced, buyers will lose interest and look for another home. If it’s underpriced, you could end up selling it for less than if you had priced it correctly.

But how do you know your home’s true value? That’s where I can help. I can help you determine your home’s accurate value—and explain where we think you should price it—so that you can be sure to get top dollar for your house when it comes time to sell.

 

The bottom line:

If you’re thinking of selling your house this year, it’s not too late! Your house might be on someone else’s wishlist this Christmas – all it takes is getting a few tips and working with the right realtor who understands how home selling works can help you avoid costly home selling mistakes, and save you stress, time and money.

Connect with me and let’s get your house market-ready just in time for the holidays!

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