Putting your home on the market during the holidays might seem daunting, but believe it or not, there are actually a few advantages to selling your home in the middle of all the hustle and bustle.  During the winter months, there’s lighter competition between sellers, and buyers tend to be more motivated if they’re looking around the holidays.

Often times, people need to purchase new homes for tax reasons, and since many jobs bring in new employees in January, transfers don’t have time to wait to buy.   Throughout the year, we tend to be busier after the New Year and during the summer.  The holidays provide prospective buyers with a little extra time to take on a home search.  If you’ve been planning on putting your home on the market in the coming months, here are a few tips to avoid unwanted stress during the most wonderful time of the year.

Properly advertise your home online
During the winter months, signage and open houses can become less effective due to inclement weather.  To avoid traveling from property to property in the freezing weather, buyers often turn to the internet.  By working with your Realtor to make sure your home is posted on the proper websites and promoted on social media, your home will have the best chance to be considered by a winter buyer.

Traveling? Leave showings to your Realtor
Showing your house while you’re away on a holiday vacation is a great way to reduce stress from impromptu appointments and last minute cleaning.  When you leave, make sure your house is ready to show, and leave the rest to your Realtor.  Any showings you have will keep the house from feeling abandoned.  Walking through a cold house can alter a buyer’s opinion, so it’s important to make sure to keep the heat on. Plus, you’ll avoid coming home to frozen pipes.

Create a daily showing schedule
Work with your Realtor to create a schedule around your holiday parties and busy days.  If there’s a day that won’t work for you, make it a blackout day, or define certain hours you’re able to accommodate showings.  That way, there’s no back and forth about whether or not a certain showing appointment will work for you.  This also works for phone calls. If you only want to receive phone calls during a certain time of day, communicate that to your Realtor.  It’ll make for a much more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Use holiday decorations to your advantage
Buyers want to be able to see themselves living in a home.  The holidays are such a warm, welcoming time, and you can use that to create a cozy, inviting atmosphere throughout your home.  If you plan on decorating, make sure you keep it tasteful.  Too many gaudy decorations can turn off buyers, but the right amount of holiday cheer can create a pleasant atmosphere and make buyers feel right at home.