Selling Your Home In The Winter - Fact VS Myth

It is safe to say that the holiday season is upon us, but if your home is on the market many homeowners begin to worry about if now is the "right time" to sell your home.   This blog is going to explain some of the facts vs the myths of home selling during the winter ! 

Myth #1 - No One Buys A Home In The Winter ! 

• Plenty of buyers are out there shopping for their dream home, and although you will NOT get as many buyers it becomes a matter of quality of quantity.  During the spring and summer months it is true that the turn-out for open houses is greater, but that is also because many of the buyers who attend an open house are not yet ready to make a purchase.  

Myth #2 - If I Take It Off The Market, Come Spring It Will Look Like A New Listing ! 

• Truth is your home will look like a new listing, until the buyer has their agent pull the listing and they see all of your previous listings.  If anything this can hurt you because just like a homeowner looks for a serious buyer, the buyer will also be looking for a serious seller. 
• Your competition come the spring and summer months is also always higher, because so many homeowners do wait until the spring to put their homes onto the market.  Take advantage of a better placement for your home because of the lower amount of available homes for buyers to buy.  

Myth #3 - I Want To Be Able To Decorate & Have Family Functions 

• First let me say, I love Christmas decorating my home can be seen from blocks away so I understand the wanting to decorate and celebrate.  You absolutely can decorate your home for the holidays and celebrate your choice, but make sure pathways are obstructed and that it does not bring about too much clutter.  Also have your agent take your homes pictures for MLS prior to the decorating.
• Showings during the holidays can be much easier than one would expect as long as you have a Full Service Brokerage & a good agent on your side.  During the months of November & December I allow the homeowners to require a bit more notice for showings and place these show instructions on MLS as well as with the front desk.  This avoids the last minute appointments that often cause the most stress for the homeowners.  Although I always try to attend showings of other agents, during these two months by having all showings with me it allows the homeowners to not need to change their plans in order to have their home shown.