At this time of year, the alliterative catchphrase “home for the holidays” is almost inescapable. Airlines and train lines advertise their best deals and cheapest tickets; the radio plays sentimental songs, and the theaters are full of sentimental returns to family hearths. But what if you’re not on the market for holiday sentiment? What if, instead, it’s your home that’s on the market? Are there ways that you can close a deal before the holidays? You’re not doomed to wait for the New Year to make a deal. Here are four tips for closing a deal before the close of the year.
Don’t assume your buyer celebrates the same holidays
You can’t assume that prospective buyers will celebrate the same holidays that you do — some might not celebrate any at all. So don’t go overboard with culturally specific decorations: you want your home’s new owner able to imagine their own celebrations in their new space. Instead of overwhelming them with your holiday, give them room to envision their bright future in your old rooms. This isn’t to say that your house should go wholly undecorated: lights on the facade and a fire in the grate, for example, provide welcome brightness and a dose of tradition-agnostic holiday cheer.
Be prepared to show at odd hours
Very few people keep regular hours during the holidays: What with family reunions, school pageants, office parties, religious services, snow days, and school vacations, just about everyone has a hectic schedule. If you’re serious about leaving your house before the end of the year, you need to be flexible and willing to accommodate unlikely times for viewings. The 9 a.m. open house, the noon realtor visit, and the 8 p.m. private viewing may be inconvenient for you, but prospective buyers — stressed by the holidays and by the complications of home hunting — will definitely appreciate it.
Schedule showings well in advance
During quiet times of the year, many potential homebuyers will be able to drop projects, check out of work early, and otherwise adjust their schedules to attend a promising home viewing. Sellers can arrange open hours on short notice at their discretion and still expect a good turnout. During the holidays, potential homebuyers need longer notice: viewings should be announced well in advance so that your potential customers have enough time to incorporate your home into their schedule. It’s a courtesy that may well mean the difference between a line out the door and a total washout.
Finally, don’t delist for the season!
It may appear wise to delist your home over the holidays: after all, surely relatively few people are looking? It’s easy to imagine that the whole world operates on the same general holiday schedule, but in today’s connected world, you can’t assume that your home’s next owner will come from nearby. Especially if you’re selling in a global city like New York, San Francisco, or London, it’s altogether possible that your holiday season isn’t your buyer’s. Delisting is tempting and may save you money in the short term, but you run the risk of missing out on a great deal. The internet has already transformed real estate: We’ve seen purchases made sight unseen from thousands of miles away; homes sell at all hours of the day, on every day of the year. Conventional wisdom about holiday selling has been outdated for years.
While the holidays are not the ideal time to sell (and, in snowy Northern climates, may not be the best time to move!), it’s far from impossible to close a sale during the last weeks of a year. With luck, pluck, and planning, you could begin the New Year in a very exciting fashion.
