With Halloween over (sigh) and Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, everyone is beginning to think about the holidays. With that in mind this month I thought I’d talk about the reasons why selling your house during the holidays isn’t the bad idea that perhaps many think it may be.
Over the years I’ve had many clients postpone listing their property because of the holidays, and they assume buyers aren’t looking.
As a real estate broker you can’t be surprised to learn that I believe ANY time is a good time to buy or sell real estate. My thought: Every season is a good season to sell!
Of course, besides market factors there are other, very understandable reasons why you might hold off on listing as Thanksgiving and/or Christmas nears. Familial obligations, holiday parties, gift shopping on top of busy work schedules can make the idea of selling your house an unimaginable burden between Christmas and Thanksgiving.
And I get these concerns. But there are many great benefits to listing your house despite the approaching holiday season too, and I wanted to share some of the benefits of listing during the holidays.
The first and best reason is the beauty of the holiday season. Whether it’s the bright colors of fall foliage, the picturesque snow or the beautiful holiday decorations, with great lighting and photography your home will look so warm and inviting for prospective buyers.
The Curb Appeal factor can’t be understated in real estate. Opening buyers’ eyes to the full potential of your house will allow you to maximize your equity, and the cozy, familial atmosphere of the holidays makes for easy home staging.
Another great reason to list during slower seasons such as the holidays is the sincere motivation of the buyers. Holiday obligations – the same factors that might dissuade some from listing – also tend to keep out the casual browsers.
Listing and only having to show your home to serious, ready buyers makes the process a lot easier and less time-consuming for you, which is especially good because, as I mentioned earlier, the holidays can be a little demanding on your time.
This particular benefit is true for any of the “slower” seasons. Don’t be fooled into thinking fewer buyers always means decreasing home values, either. Even through slow volume months home sale values have remained strong, and as this article demonstrates, the market is multifaceted and there are many components to determining home prices.
One misconception I think I should go over is that folks tend to group listing your house, selling your house and closing all in the same breath, making the idea of listing your home particularly daunting.
Of course, listing your house doesn’t mean you’ll be moving out of it next week. The whole process of listing, going under contract and closing on a home sale is usually a month-long process (at the earliest).
(A closing date is worked out through the negotiation process, which means you have a good amount of input and control over when you close on your home and actually have to move).
I bring up this misconception because I think it adds to why listing around the holidays isn’t a bad thing. If you rush to list earlier in the fall, you might end up with a closing date smack in the middle of the holidays.
Listing as the holidays approach gives you a lot more power to push any closing and moving day until after the holidays…
I have to admit I’m not terribly enthusiastic about moving in the cold winter months (up here in New England). But, not to worry, see my previous post about hiring professional movers…
Again, you can’t be too surprised that I’m telling you any season is a good time to sell. Still, I hope these points make you think a little more about selling during the holidays.
The key to timing for listing your property should have less to do with the season or time of year and more to do with fitting in nicely with your plans – whether we’re talking about personal and career changes, lifestyle changes, a change in scenery, or fulfilling investment plans.
The market is always there, and there are pros and cons to selling at any time or season. Consider your real estate goals, think about your personal and professional future, and when things are perfectly aligned, make your next real estate move.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about the equity you’ve built in your current home, send me a message. And, in the meantime, have a safe, healthy and loving holiday!
