Staging Your Home to Sell During the Holidays

So, you're moving and it's the Holiday Season. But, you ask, who wants to buy my house during this hectic time of the year?

Many people disregard this as one of the best times of the year for selling. Why? Well, think about it: if you observe the Christmas holiday, your home is likely to be all dressed up with holiday lights, inside and out. There will be a Christmas tree with presents underneath. How homey is THAT? These seasonal features will help make your home show very well during open houses.

And what about the open houses-will anyone show up? Of course! The best part is…the MOST SERIOUS BUYERS will be the ones who show up. You don't want the "Looky-Loo" who will waste your time, anyway. You want someone who is seriously in need of moving NOW, due to relocation or 1031 exchange, or whatever their reason. These serious Buyers will not waste your time, because time is of the essence!

What if you DON'T observe the Christmas holiday? Your home is still ready for showing, because your real estate agent has explained the importance of putting away personal photos (so the potential Buyer can imagine their own family in the home) and then "staging" the home for showing.

Staging is a way of preparing the home for potential Buyers to see your home in its best condition: de-cluttered, sparkling clean, light and bright, and ready to move in. During the Holidays, this means a wreath hanging on the door to welcome all who enter with the smell of evergreen. It means Holiday decorations around the home, placed strategically so as not to clutter, but to add to the festive feel. Add to this the holiday smells of spiced cider simmering on the stove and/or freshly-baked gingerbread cookies for the open house visitors, and you have the ultimate aromatic setting for selling a home during the holidays.

But WAIT! This isn't all there is to staging. It also includes furniture, pictures, plants, sculptures, and other accessories to complete the "homey" look and feel. What if your furniture is old, faded or worn out? Would this be the best way to show your home for top dollar? No, but a staging professional (usually recommended by your real estate agent) can take care of this for you. They will move out your furniture and bring in clean, modern furniture to help your home show at its best. This is highly recommended, and you're going to be moving it at some point anyhow, right?

Another recommendation is to get a storage unit, or even one of those portable storage boxes. The storage box can be delivered to your home; you fill it up with boxes, furniture, etc; it then gets hauled away to a storage facility, or even straight to your new home (if you have one already). This takes care of de-cluttering, and you don't fill up the garage with boxes.

Another reason to place your home on the market during the Holidays is that you will beat the January rush. Everyone else is waiting to sell their home AFTER the Holidays, and the market will be flooded and you won't get as much attention for your home as you would if you put it on the market in November or December.

Don't underestimate the power of marketing during the Holidays!