SELLERS: Should we sell our home during the Holiday Season?

Hi Everyone-

Many buyers and sellers have been asking me whether they should change their strategy now that the holiday season is here. The following is a two part response. Here is part 2, which is for SELLERS:

SELLERS: Should you SELL a home during the Holiday Season?
Conventional thinking is that the holiday season is a harder time to net the most out of your sale. I would say this definitely has some truth and is grounded in sound logic. There are less buyers out there over the holidays, and the holiday season is a time where homes are decorated in a much more personal manner, which can make potential buyers have a harder time seeing themselves there.

Really, in the end, it is a case by case basis. If you are not decorating your home, or the property is vacant, you home will show the same. The benefit of selling your home during the holidays is that the buyers are serious, and as long as you are open to the negotiation process and have a hardworking agent, you should ultimately be able to find a buyer who is willing to pay a market value for your home. Buyers who are making offers during the holidays aren't discount mentality shoppers. They are obviously serious.

All this said, here is a list of 10 things you can possibly do that may make your home more saleable over the holidays:

1. Deck the halls, but don't go overboard.
   Homes often look their best during the holidays, but sellers should be careful not to overdo it on the decor. Adornments that are too large or too many can crowd your home and distract buyers. Also, avoid offending buyers by opting for general fall and winter decorations rather than items with religious themes.
   
   
2. Hire a reliable real estate agent.
   That means someone who will work hard for you and won't disappear during Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. Ask your friends and family if they can recommend a listing agent who will go above and beyond to get your home sold. This will ease your stress and give you more time to enjoy the season.
   
   
3. Seek out motivated buyers.
   Anyone house hunting during the holidays must have a good reason for doing so. Work with your agent to target buyers on a deadline, including people relocating for jobs in your area, investors on tax deadlines, college students and staff, and military personnel, if you live near a military base.
   
   
4. Price it to sell.
   No matter what time of year, a home that's priced low for the market will make buyers feel merry. Rather than gradually making small price reductions, many real estate agents advise sellers to slash their prices before putting a home on the market.
   
   
5. Make curb appeal a top priority.
   When autumn rolls around and the trees start to lose their leaves, maintaining the exterior of your home becomes even more important. Bare trees equal a more exposed home, so touch up the paint, clean the gutters and spruce up the yard. Keep buyers' safety in mind as well by making sure stairs and walkways are free of snow, ice and leaves.
   
   
6. Take top-notch real estate photos.
   When the weather outside is frightful, homebuyers are likely to start their house hunt from the comfort of their homes by browsing listings on the Internet. Make a good first impression by offering lots of flattering, high-quality photos of your home. If possible, have a summer or spring photo of your home available so buyers can see how it looks year-round.
   
   
7. Create a video tour for the Web.
   You'll get less foot traffic during the holidays, thanks to inclement weather and vacation plans. But shooting a video tour and posting it on the Web may attract house hunters who don't have time to physically see your home or would rather not drive in a snowstorm.
8. 
   
9. Give house hunters a place to escape from the cold.
   Make your home feel cozy and inviting during showings by cranking up the heat, playing soft classical music and offering homemade holiday treats. When you encourage buyers to spend more time in your home, you also give them more time to admire its best features.
   
   
10. Offer holiday cheer in the form of financing.
    Bah, humbug! Lenders are scrooges these days, but if you've got the means, then why not offer a home loan to a serious buyer? You could get a good rate of return on your money.
    
    
11. Relax -- the new year is just around the corner.
    The holidays are stressful enough, with gifts to buy, dinners to prepare and relatives to entertain. Take a moment to remind yourself that if you don't sell now, there's always next year, which luckily is only a few days away.