The holidays are a time of cheer, goodwill, and neighborly community-building. You might be surprised, but the holidays are also a great time to sell your home. It’s true that the vast majority of home buyers are active in the summer. However, there are always people looking for a home. In fact, those looking to buy in the winter are often keener, less likely to shop around in the smaller housing market, and more likely to feel a strong connection with the right house.
The best way to sell your house in the winter is to embrace the season of holiday cheer. Winter buyers are looking for a cozy home that will feel welcoming, where they can spend many a warm family holiday in the future. By sharing a little bit of warmth and magic in your home-selling strategy, you can help winter buyers fall in love with your house. Here are a few powerful tips when listing your home during the holidays.
Polish Everything to a Warm Glow
Start with your cleaning routine. This is the perfect time to oil-polish your wood and metal finishes until they gleam with that special holiday glow. Sweep away the dust bunnies under the couch and the cobwebs hiding in the upper corners. Maximize interior light, vacuum the winter curtains, and brighten every corner of your space. This will lay the groundwork to make your house into a warm holiday beacon for buyers searching for a new home during this special season.
Stage Each Room for Cozy Hosting
What should you do with your furniture when staging a home for the holidays? Turn the chairs toward each other and stage each room as a cozy hosting environment. Imagine Santa’s workshop as you arrange each room to feel as cozy as possible, without becoming cramped. Create conversation circles whenever possible, including bar chairs around the kitchen island where buyers can imagine family gatherings and holiday parties.
Make each bed with fluffy bedding and arrange extra chairs into reading nooks to make even private spaces feel welcoming.
Deck the Halls With Holiday-Neutral Decor
When touring homes on the winter market, buyers expect a little holiday decor. Charm your buyers with cheerful, tasteful accents throughout the house. However, be sure to keep your decorations holiday-neutral. You never know how your buyers will personally celebrate the holidays. Garlands of pine and tinsel, shiny ball ornaments, and sparkling snowflakes are all neutral in style. However, you may not want to decorate a tree, place Santas, or include any religious decorations in your stylings. This leaves your home as a bright, festively blank canvas for buyers to write their own family traditions into the space.
Fill the Air With Delightful Aromas
Before your open house and each buyer tour, make your house smell amazing. Bake a batch of cookies to serve your guests. Brew up some cider and cocoa, or spray fresh pine scent throughout the house. You might burn a fragrant log in the fireplace with some spiced pinecones or place a bowl of holiday potpourri (dried herbs and flowers) in each room for natural fragrance. If you’re in a hurry, just simmer some cloves and cinnamon on the stove for a few minutes before your buyers arrive.
Maintain a Flexible Schedule With Buyers
Lastly, be flexible when scheduling tours and negotiating the sale with your buyers. The holidays are a challenging time to buy a house. They are likely juggling other obligations like family and jobs. If your buyers need to meet on a specific day or at a specific time, try to accommodate or work with your real estate agent to have someone else show them the house. If your buyers want to close on a unique timeline once you enter negotiations, be as giving as you can because they likely have real-time restraints or even a new year’s deadline to meet.
Being kind about scheduling is a great way to win over your buyers and ensure everyone has a positive experience.
Happy Holidays in the Housing Market With W Marketing New Homes
Here at W Marketing New Homes, we know how important holiday season home selling and home buying can be. With these tips, you can help buyers fall in love with your home from the moment they step through the door. We wish you and your buyers a delightful holiday season and a successful home exchange.
