Holiday season could be perfect time to sell your home
There is truth to the old adage that real estate sales are seasonal and things slow a little during the holidays. If you are thinking about selling your home, you can gain an advantage on your competition in the weeks ahead.
Every year, prospective sellers struggle with the question “Do I list now or wait until after New Year’s?” The answer depends on your unique situation and motivation to sell, but there are some good reasons to act now.
As a result of strong summer and fall sales, the inventory of available homes remains at low levels. This is especially true of low price ranges across Middle Tennessee. That makes this holiday season a prime time to list and sell your home.
Our team’s internal research is trending a steady flow of buyers who are looking to purchase now, while interest rates remain near record lows. Buyers are out there looking for their new homes.
Good reasons to list now
There are at least five good reasons to list your home for sale during the holidays:
1. Many houses show better when decorated for the holidays — especially when they’re professionally staged. The sights, sounds and smells of the holidays appeal to our emotions and will attract buyers to your home. This is my favorite reason, so it always goes at the top of the list.
2. Lookers during the holidays are serious buyers! Most of us are too busy to window-shop during this time of year. If your home is showing, odds are it will sell. Today’s buyers are hoping to buy quickly and maybe move in before the new year.
3. Realistically, if it’s not under contract by now, it probably won’t close until sometime in January. You can pack up your holiday decorations and pack to move at the same time.
4. The number of available listings declines during the last few months of the year. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from. Less competition should result in a quicker sale and more money for you.
5. Just the opposite might occur in January and February. As the supply of available homes begins to build, there will be more homes competing for attention. More homes to choose from could mean less money for those who wait to sell.
There are a few reasons to delay listing until after the holidays. We all know that the holidays are a busy time and the reality of preparing your home for sale could be overwhelming. That’s one reason why we offer market-ready and staging services to our clients.
The biggest obstacle might be overcoming the perceived disruption of showing your home during the holidays. There is a solution to this one, too. You can actively market your home, but restrict showings on those special days or at specific times that could potentially interrupt your holiday plans.