Tis the season for holiday decorations, parties and guests! Such a great time of year, yet if you are in the market to sell your home, you may feel a bit overwhelmed and you may be questioning whether you should even bother during this time of year. The truth is, there are pros and cons when selling your home during the holiday season. 

In many cases, buyers or sellers will table the sale or purchase of a home until the new year simply because they are so busy. Some realtors feel selling your during the holidays eliminates buyers who are not serious as well. 

There are, of course, situations in which a buyer must purchase and a seller must sell despite the possible poor timing. In the end, your market and your personal preference will determine whether the holiday season is a good time to sell. 

There are pros and cons when selling your home during the holiday season.

The Cons of Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season

There are potential issues and cons associated with selling your home during the holiday season. It’s a great idea to review this list so you are prepared for any possible drawbacks that may arise while your home is listed during the holidays. 

• May Attract Low Offers – some buyers out there may believe that since your home is listed during the holidays, you need to sell and are desperate to do so. You may end up with some lowball offers. 
• Inconvenient Showings – let’s face it during the holidays we are all really busy. When your home is listed, you need to be ready for a possible showing at a moment’s notice. Afterall, you don’t want to miss out on an offer. While prepping for guests, parties or other fun holiday activities, it may not be the easiest to keep your home in tip-top shape. 
• Smaller Buyer Pool – in some markets, not necessarily all, there will be fewer buyers shopping for a new home. This decreases the amount of exposure and overall interest. 
• Lenders and Holidays – depending on the timing of any offers you receive, the lender may not be ready to close until after the first of the year. If you want to close sooner, you may be out of luck.
• Less Availability – your real estate agent, lenders, inspectors and so on may be less available during this time of year due to vacations. 

The Pros of Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season

If you are motivated and prepared for possible challenges, there are pros associated with selling your home during the holiday season. It may take some patience, but in many cases and in the right market, you will end up with an offer you were hoping for. 

• Reduced Inventory – less competition in the market is a great advantage of selling your home during the holidays. Many sellers chose not to list their homes for sale during the holidays for numerous reasons. This just means your home has a chance to shine and attract buyers. 
• Less Competition – this is in reference to competition of homes that may be in better shape than yours. Spring is a hot time for sellers to get motivated and list their homes for sale. With less listings during the holiday season, buyers will often overlook some things they can fix-up or change themselves and purchase your home that may need repairs. 
• Home Vibes – holidays can bring a warm ambience to a home. Family gatherings, decorations, candles and other popular holiday decor can create a welcoming feel throughout your home. With that being said, be sure to read our tips on not going too far with your holiday decorations while selling your home. 

Selling Your Home With Holiday Decorations

If you decide to list your home or keep it on the market during the holiday season, be careful with your holiday decorating enthusiasm. You want to be sure you have created a welcoming and comfortable environment for potential buyers. So, keep the decorations in good taste and to a minimum. 

Keep your pathways clear and rooms uncluttered. Be sure your home is the one showing off and not your decorations. When buyers tour your home, they need to imagine themselves living there day to day, not just during the holidays. Try to keep your personalized decorations to a minimum as well. Again, the buyer should be able to envision their own family celebrating within the walls. 

Holiday Decorating Tips for Selling Your Home

There’s no need to eliminate your Christmas tree, menorah or other seasonal displays, but you should work on keeping the decorations to a minimum. 

• Keep your fireplace, mantels, stairs, or stained-glass windows as clear as possible. All of these are great selling features and buyers should be able to view them for what they are worth. 
• If you do put up a Christmas tree, consider a smaller tree as to not take up too much room space. 
• For showings or open houses, store your wrapped or unwrapped gifts in a closet or storage room as to keep the clutter to a minimum in the main living areas. 
• Instead of holiday banners, window clings or stickers, try using strands of garland or fresh greens. This will give off a fresh scent as well as create a lively and peaceful setting 
• Dress a table with a holiday centerpiece featuring pine cones or fresh greens which will add a nice scent as well. 
• Feel free to set out a plate of holiday treats for open houses or showings.
• Hire a home stager will help out a lot as they can stage your home for the holidays all while keeping potential buyers in mind. 

Selling your home during the holiday season can feel overwhelming, but you can be successful. You just need to follow the best practices and tips we have gone over today. If you would rather skip over all the pros and cons, you could sell your home to a cash buyer instead anytime of the year. We are a property solutions company here to help sellers who would like to sell their homes for cash and sell quickly. Skip all the stress and reach out to us today.