The calendar says November and that first snow fall will be blowing in soon. It won't be long before the holidays are upon us. So if your home is currently on the market and has yet to sell or if you just got a job offer out of state and need to list your home, what should a seller do? At first inclination most sellers opt to withdraw their home from the market believing that the preoccupation with the holiday season puts few buyers in the market. While there is a grain of truth to this, sellers can be ignoring another more important situation: Any buyer looking at houses during the holidays will be a VERY serious buyer. There are not many tire-kickers running around with a REALTOR® when there are dinners to plan, cookies to bake, and gifts to wrap. November, December and January showings are an opportunity for a traditional seller. Most homes that buyers visit at this time of the year are vacant. A buyer’s choices are down to model homes, empty relocation properties and foreclosures. A welcome home filled with the colorful sights, delightful sounds and wonderful aromas of the season, give a unique opportunity for those wanting to sell.
Tips for Showing & Selling During the Holidays
- Decorate! Tastefully of course. This might not be the year that you do the Griswold display of lights as in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but a decorated tree, candles and wreaths can add a special touch.
- Bake and leave out Christmas Cookies. Why should Santa have all of the extra calories?
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Make sure the fireplace is burning bright, warm and welcoming!
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Play holiday music. Leave out the barking version of Jingle Bells and go for instrumentals or uniquely Minnesota regional artists like The Blenders.
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Shovel and salt the driveway if necessary. No one wants to spend the holidays in the emergency room with a twisted ankle.
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Turn the heat up for showings…Let them know the furnace really works. It is such a treat after visiting vacant foreclosed homes!
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Leave the front light on! Don’t forget it is dark out during those early evening showings. Make certain buyers and their agents are able to see their way to your front door and be able to open the lockbox.
If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet or FREE Homebuyers Success Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota..JPG)
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Copyright 2012 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/
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Some very good tips for the home seller's in today's market I'm with you the buyer's out there are serious ones so the seller's need to be prepared.
Who doesnt love decorating for Christmas? This is a great wat for families and couples to see and experience a very homey-comforting feeling right off the bat and picture what holidays would be like all together.
Teri, I always tell my Sellers that the Holidays are a good time to sell homes. It is not always fun to have people coming to view during those special days....but we work with it. Great advice here for your sellers. The Holidays are the time of year when our homes are the coziest! Have a wonderful week!
Teri-I usually recommend not placing a home on the market in Nov-Dec, unless there is a dire emergency. But, you make good points for those who have to have a house ready to sell.
Teri, thanks for your tips! I will share this with my team. I will tell my clients as well, holidays are the right time to make their money work for them!