A well-decorated home is enticing to buyers during the holidays. Photo:
iStock
Why put your house on the market during
the holidays?
With all of the chaos between now and
New Year's, it seems it would be madness indeed to put a house for sale during
the winter. But smart Realtors say it may just be the perfect time to put up the
"for sale" sign.
One house-hunter turned real estate
agent is Linda Kemp, who remembers she and her husband were transferred every
couple of years and always right before the holidays.
Seal the Deal
with All Your Senses "I have many fond memories of how beautiful the
houses looked all decorated with lights and holiday garland," she recalled.
"Many of the homes smelled of cinnamon and spices. All of my senses were in
overdrive and I couldn’t wait to purchase a new home and lay down roots once
again."
Now settled in the midwest in
Naperville, Ill., she has resumed her real estate career and shakes her head in
amazement when she watches her associates take their clients' homes off the
market when winter rolls around.
"It's my experience, both personal and
professional, that buyers who are looking at homes during this time of year are
serious buyers indeed," she said. "I have watched homes sell right before
Christmas. In fact, a few years back, one of my clients sold their home on New
Year's Eve with the buyers signing a contract right there on the spot."
Los Angeles Realtor Lee Dworshak
concurs. "Experience tells us that only the truly motivated home buyers and
sellers are the ones who will be out there over the holiday season. While most
folks close their doors just before Thanksgiving and don’t open them again until
mid January, the folks that are willing to give of their time and perform the
due diligence required during this period are really serious about buying or
selling."
Don't Decline Showings
Kathy Keating, a Realtor in
Boulder, Colo., believes there's always a buyer or a seller even during the
holiday season so she doesn't enter into this time of year thinking it's going
to be challenging. Her advice? Make is as easy as possible to have a showing.
Don't decline showings and don't put time limits on them.
"It's a numbers game," she says. "The
more people you get in the door, the better chance of selling your home. And it
only takes one buyer. As far as a seller, the inventory is at its lowest right
now and people are getting nervous and either renting their homes or just taking
them off the market. People would like to see new homes."
Karlene Smith, a Realtor in Warren,
Penn., finds that families often come back to where they grew up during the
holiday season. "And if they're thinking of making a move back, now is the time
they will be looking," she said.
She agrees that those looking for homes
are serious buyers but she cautions real estate agents make sure potential
buyers are pre-approved.
"You do not want to put the sellers and
their families out in the cold and snow for a showing unless the buyer is
capable of purchasing," she said.
And she has one very practical tip for
showing a house during the holidays. "Since we are in the north we also have to
deal with mud and snow during this time, one issue is the men wear work boots
that lace up and taking them off to a view a home can be an inconvenience. What
I suggest is buy the disposable booties that doctors wear in surgery. They are
great for slipping over the boots keeping the sellers floors from damage."
Whether you're a current Birmingham resident who's hoping to move into your dream home, or you've been
considering moving into the area and have questions about the Birmingham Real
Estate market, please feel free to contact me! As an experienced Birmingham
Real Estate agent, I can help you navigate through the home buying/selling
process and ensure you are settled into your new Birmingham home in no
time.
I look forward to hearing from you
soon!
Pam Truex
Your Birmingham Real Estate Expert
Max Broock
