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Selling a Home During the Holidays

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty SL3189823

How often has a seller said "I'm going to sell my house right after the holidays are over."?  Yes, selling a house is a challenge under the best of circumstances.  The holidays add a little stress, and require some balancing of time.  At the same time, a house that is decorated for the holidays "feels" warm to most buyers.  Many, if not most, buyers who are looking during the holidays are very serious and tend to want to buy a home, and not wait for after the holidays.  

You can balance your schedule with home showings.  Tell your Realtor that your house will be available during specific times over the holidays.  For example, if you work during the day, make the house available when no one is home anyway, and then when you get home for dinner or family time, make it off limits for showings. On the weekends, set aside several hours in the afternoon for showings, then go out and partake in holiday shopping, festivities and other fun things.  When you want to be home and not worry about showings, simply tell your Realtor.

Also, for sellers, the market is less competitive during the holiday season.  Many potential sellers use the same excuse to wait for after the first of the year to put their houses on the market.  And what that will cause is more competition after the holidays for buyers.  More competition can cause depressed prices, so sellers who wait will net less money after the holidays than if they had sold during the holidays.  Less competitive also applies to buyers.  There just won't be the number of buyers looking at homes over the holidays that will be out there after the first of the year, so a buyer who finds the right house probably won't have to deal with an "auction" atmosphere.  

The decorations will be gone, and in some cases, houses will not show as warmly as they did when decorated.  Some buyers suffer from post-holiday blues and may be much more critical of a house than during the holidays.

And finally, wouldn't the holidays be much more relaxed knowing that you house has been sold and right after the holidays you will begin a new adventure in a new home, with all the excitement that comes with a fresh beginning?

Take a look at homes that are for sale in the greater Palm Harbor area now, during the holidays. Less competition just might mean a better deal.

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