Written by Monica Harmse
Reduced inventory over the holidays generally means less competition for Sellers. Yes, there are cons- In parts of the country where it snows non-stop, buyers may think twice about bundling up in heavy coats, boots, and gloves to trudge through snow banks to go looking at homes when they’d rather be out shopping or staying home in front of the fireplace. But in Greater Vancouver, we have a relatively mild winter which means buyers are still on the hunt!
If You Plan on Selling Your Home During the Holidays
Back off on the decorations. Should you hang a wreath on your door or showcase a Christmas tree in front of a window? What’s overdoing it? What’s not?
By minimizing the holiday decorations, you are making your home feel more spacious. When buyers enter your home, you want them to imagine putting their own furniture in each room, making it theirs, and they can’t do that if your holiday decorations dominate the stage.
Too many decorations can be overwhelming and distracting. Don’t make the mistake of thinking buyers will “see past it” because some can’t.
Hard to Sell Unique Homes
Let’s face it…some homes take more finesse to sell. If you have a hard-to-sell home with drawbacks, maybe an undesirable location or outdated features, you might get shoved to the bottom of the showing list if you wait until Spring to sell your home. There might be too many other sparklier homes for sale at that time. Give your unique home a chance to rise to the top when there are fewer homes for sale over the holidays.
Holiday Decorating Compromises for Holiday Enthusiasts
If you decide you cannot live through a holiday season without decorating your home, keep the decorations to a minimum. Don’t block important selling features such as fireplace mantels, stairs, or new windows. The holiday decor should be replacing the current display, not bulking it up! Keep it neutral. You should think twice before displaying heavy religious focused décor during home showings ANYTIME of the year, Christmas season is no different.
So What Can you Do?!
Despite what other Realtors may say, I am totally on board with white exterior lights if they are nicely done.
You can still have a tree! Just tone down the size of the tree. In place of a 10-foot tree, try decorating a table-top or four-foot version. (Hide the wrapped gifts or save the wrapping for the night before Christmas!)
Absolutely display centrepieces made from pine cones or other wintry pieces of nature. Set a plate of cookies on the counter, next to festive paper napkins for guests.
Simmer spicy apple cider on the stove and set out Christmasy cups and serving utensils. There are a number of ways to cheat the system – just keep it light!