Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Jeff Russell, 2009 President, Lorain County Association of R

Jeff Russell 2009 LoCAR President

During the holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to take full advantage of staging and showing off your home unlike any other time of year! Holiday decorations make a house feel more like a home. But be sure that you don’t clutter your home. Moderation is the best rule of thumb when decorating your home for the holidays while it’s on the market.

Here are some easy ideas and tips to keep in mind:

(1.) As always, making a great first impression is important. Curb appeal is the way to do it. Keep your sidewalks, driveway and entry clear of snow and ice.

(2.) Adorn your front door with a fragrant and fresh holiday wreath.

(3.) For a festive ambiance use tasteful holiday lighting both indoors and outdoors.

(4.) When you know your REALTOR® is going to have a showing, set the thermostat at a comfortable setting … not too cool and not too warm. Some people may not feel comfortable enough to remove their coats.

(5.) Prior to the showing, heat up some apple cider on the stove for a wonderful aroma or maybe bake some gingerbread.

(6.) Avoid putting up a large tree. A tree that’s very large can crowd a room and make it look smaller. Instead of a traditional tree, you can opt to just enhance the architectural features of your home, for instance place a garland on the fireplace mantle or around archways.

(7.) Make sure that potential buyers can move around your home freely without knocking over decorations. (Again, the clutter issue arises!)

(8.) Don’t leave gifts under the tree - opened or unopened.

Also, keep in mind that all the decorations you put out may have to be put away early when you sell your home!

Whether buying or selling this time of year, make sure you utilize the expertise of a professional--a REALTOR® member of the Lorain County Association of REATLORS®. Log onto www.MyNewCommunity.net or www.LoCAR.org to find a list of not only real estate agents, but also REALTORS® who support your community. You’ll find listings of professionals who are also vital to the real estate industry, such as home appraisers, mortgage lenders, moving companies, financial institutions, title companies, home inspectors, surveyors and more.