Keep your listing evergreen-fresh over the holidays to attract those serious buyers.
Update your primary listing photo to show a snowy landscape. If you can pull it off, include a photo at dusk, with candles glowing in the windows and the porch lit. (Go to the seller’s admin ‘manage your photos’ page and swap in a new photo.) Keep reading for more tips on holiday and winter presentation.
•Zero in on a welcoming porch that is cleared for safe navigation past ice and snow.
•Put clear lights on shrubs and keep them on during the day for extra sparkle.
•Build a snowman and have him hold your ForSaleByOwner.com sign!
Selling during the holidays can add extra emotional appeal to your home, especially if you present it in a way that lets buyers envision themselves creating their own memories in front of your fireplace.
- Stage your house for maximum emotional appeal. Without over-emphasizing highly personal accessories, especially those with religious meaning, you can make the most of evergreens, candles, spicy scents, and decorating.
- Emotions run high during holidays, and that can be to your advantage. Light a fire in the fireplace, build a snowman in the front yard, and hang a bright wreath on the front door. It’s hard to buyers to resist the pull of iconic holiday hospitality.
- It’s the last window to take advantage of any tax gains that buyers might capture, from limited-time employer incentives for buying, to maximizing their own cash flow through a home purchase this year.
- Your neighborhood will never look more cheery and inviting. Holiday decorations and a light snow can turn even the most routine neighborhood into a Norman Rockwell scene. Consider timing your final open house of the year to coincide with the hours when your neighborhood looks its best — perhaps in mid to late afternoon when lights start to twinkle in the lengthening shadows.
- Get the word out at holiday gatherings. Does your neighborhood host a cookie walk? Carolers? A steady stream of families looking at light displays? Take advantage of holiday traffic by hosting an open house when traffic is at its peak. It doesn’t have to be fancy — serve hot spiced cider and store-bought-cookies — but it will take househunters by surprise.
