Interested in selling a home during the holidays, but not sure it can be done? Some local real estate agents say that if you have the time, go for it.
“There’s not that much new inventory coming in [at this time of year],” said Robin Blass, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Dunwoody. “I encourage clients if they can handle it during the holidays with minimal decorations, then go ahead and do it. I just listed two houses this past weekend, and have already had multiple showings because of low inventory.”
Stacy O’Neill, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Sandy Springs, agrees.
“The holidays can be a great time because the inventory shrinks,” she said.
Because of the holiday hustle and bustle – decorating, family visits, shopping and parties – the end of the year can seem to some to be a tough time to take a home to market. Winter’s short and gray days also can make for a dreary setting because homes can seem dark.
But Blass said winter can also be positive for home sales. “When I show a house in the winter, I can at least let them know that right now it’s the worst as far as privacy is concerned. All of the greenery is going to fill in and make it more private eventually,” she said.
Blass said that if folks are selling their home to relocate to another town, the holidays can also be a good time because it means their children will start a new school in January after winter break. “It can make for an easier transition,” she said.
Potential buyers looking around the holidays tend to be more serious, too, said Angie Ponsell, a Keller Williams Sandy Springs agent. “You’ll have more quality showings,” she said.
O’Neill added that the holidays can be advantageous for buyers even if the inventory is smaller because they will likely have more downtime to search for a home.
And then there’s the question of decorating.
“I tell [clients] to not go overboard,” Blass said. “If they want a Christmas tree or stockings, that’s fine. But you don’t want buyers to get distracted. You want them to see what all the floor plans have to offer.”
O’Neill agrees. “You don’t want to bring out every decoration you have,” she said. “People expect to put their tree up, but you may want to keep decoration collections boxed.”
Referring to a local home that has numerous inflatable decorations around Christmastime, O’Neill added, “If that house were on the market, a buyer couldn’t begin to imagine that home with their belongings.
“On the flip side, a wreath on the front door and a mailbox decoration are fine,” O’Neill said. “You just wouldn’t want to be the house with a million lights.”