This post is to hopefully answer the age old question, do you or don't you take your home off the market during the holidays?
The holidays can create a lot of pressure to get things done and maintain the house. When you look at your holiday calendars you find the months overloaded with seasonal obligations -- shopping, entertaining, children's pageants, charity work, decorating the house, and so much more. If you add in trying to sell your home, you are looing at an intense amount of pressure to keep the home in perfect show condition as well. This can pretty much break holiday spirit for some.
It is understandable why you would be tempted to take your home off the market during the holidays. If you are too busy, buyers may be also, and you may find your efforts are fruitless when you don't get as many showings.
And what if you do get an offer? You may end up moving during the busiest time of the year. Better to just pack it in and start fresh with the new year.
However stressful it may be, taking your home off the market for the Christmas season is a mistake. Your house isn't going to do anything off of the market. Work with the kids to get them to help around the house. Santa is coming soon, right?! Your realtor gets paid to sell your hou
se, let them do the work after you leave for the day.
The holidays are a great selling period. Why? Because most people take off work sometime during the season. The husband and wife are both off and want to see houses together because they have the time together. It creates a bond for them, and there isn't as much going back research when they both see it at the same time.
Before you take your home off the market, consider the following points:
- The buyers who are actively looking during the holidays are serious. They aren't postponing because of holidays, they want or NEED to move. If the marketshut down for every "season" there would be no market because there are spring weddings, June graduations, summer vacations, and autumn back-to-school activities.
- Many buyers deliberately choose to shop for a home after the busy spring and summer rush. They know that it will be easier to look, and that negotiations will be less stressful. They may not have children, or they may have grown children, so moving to accommodate the school year isn't a consideration. Finding the right home at the right price, however, is.
- Relocating families often don't have a choice in when they can leave for their new destination. Many families have to transfer during the middle of the school year and they are that much more motivated to get their families settled in before either before the January semester begins, or to arrange for the move during spring break in March.
- At Christmastime, our culture focuses on family and the home. Preparing for the indoor activities of winter is one of the most enjoyable periods of family life. Allowing buyers to view your home during this most hospitable of seasons lets them better picture their own family life in the attractive environment you have created. Staging may be great for this time of the year as well!
- When is your home ever more beautiful and inviting? You have cleaned and decorated, and your home looks like a picture postcard. If the results are good enough for family and friends, they will surely be good enough to impress your buyers. Get the family team on board to do a five-minute blitz pick-up every morning to keep holiday messes to a minimum.
- With reduced inventories and motivated buyers, you will have all the members of the MLS on your team. You may find you have more showings than you would if your marketed your home during a busier time of the year.
- If you do get a contract, you can arrange the terms to suit your needs. If moving during the holidays isn't an option, you can put in the closing date of your choice. From contract to closing, it is usually between 30-60 days. This can give you plenty of time after the holidays.
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