You can get all kinds of different advice about having your home on the market over the holidays. The fact is that fewer buyers are looking during this time, but those who are looking are serious. Few people would choose to look at real estate in Boise in the winter if they did not need to move. It is much more enjoyable to search when the weather is warm.
If you have to move, you have to move. Even over the holidays, people have job transfers. They get married, have children or do something else that makes a move necessary. This is a great opportunity for you to sell your home. Statistically, there are fewer homes on the market. You can see by the chart below, however, that we still see between 7% and 10% of the homes on the market sell.
Ada County Homes for sale September 2007 through March 2008.
The question is, would you rather be one of 5200 Ada County homes from which buyers can choose or one of 4100? I think this is an obvious choice. So, even though you might be tempted to take some time off during the winter or holiday season, the fact is that you would be missing a valuable market opportunity.
Many sellers complain that having their home for sale puts a crimp in their holiday decorating. Again, the choice is yours. What is your motivation? You can still put out some of your favorite holiday items. You may have to tone it down a bit if you are a decorating over-achiever. Your Realtor can help you make decisions about what gets put out. Generally, standard staging rules apply. Anything too cluttered makes it more difficult for potential buyers to notice the features your home offers. When kept simple, holiday decorations make a home feel warm and inviting.
If you really want to sell, keep your home listed throughout the holiday season. Any inconveniences will seem minor when you can move on while others are waiting for spring to list their homes along with everyone else.
