There are pros and cons about selling your house any time of the year. You might hear people say that you should only sell during the spring or summer months, but there are a number of reasons to utilize the holiday season if you have to. Of course each situation differs, and it makes sense sometimes to take your home off the market and enjoy the time with your family; not having to worry about being on call for cleaning all of the time for showings. Here are a few tips for selling over the holidays:
- Tone down the decorations
Everyone has different taste when it comes to holiday decorating. Try to keep the seasonal decorating to a minimum, keep it tasteful, and use help from Pinterest for ideas. Keep colours consistent and don’t cover every surface with trinkets. A tree, table centrepiece, wreath on the door and one feature area will do the trick. Those wacky exterior lights? Inflatable snowmen your kids love? Maybe save them for your new home. - Make curb appeal a priority
First impressions count. Use the holiday seasons to spruce up your entrance – literally. Grab a couple outdoor pots that are deep enough for a nice seasonal arrangement. The local greenhouses can put theses together for you if it’s not your forte. Make sure the size of the arrangements fit with the size of your entrance. - Safety first
Keep walks and driveways shovelled, and any walking paths clear of ice. Keep your exterior lights on so that potential buyers can see their way around. If there’s an area you are not able to de-ice, or you have a surface that is extra slippery, place a sign to warn anyone of the potential danger. If you have any icicles hanging from the roof that might fall, try to knock them off. - Make it warm and welcoming
Turn on that fireplace, and make sure the heat is at a reasonable level (we never want a buyer to walk into a cold house!). Use throw blankets and cozy pillows to decorate, and make sure there’s a mat at the front entrance for guests to leave their wet footwear. - Clear the clutter This is a step that a seller should never skip, no matter what season you’re selling in. De-clutter, de-personalize, and again – keep the seasonal trinkets put away for the year.
- Turn down the scents
Scent is such a personalized thing. You might think the scent of that spruce or cinnamon candle smells great, but the potential buyer coming to view your house might not. Some people are highly sensitive to smell, or have allergies. Keep your house and bedding clean, take the trash out, don’t cook smelly meals like fish before your showing, and keep pet smells neutralized. Stay away from Febreeze or Scentsy or essential oil diffusers. The best smells are freshly baked cookies or cleaning products. There’s one other scent that would be acceptable during this time of the year, and that would be a seasonal stovetop potpourri. Pinterest has some great recipes, or you can search the internet for options. Try to choose something that would appeal to the masses.