
1. First impressions count year around. But with the cold weather here, those impressions are more important than ever before. Keep the driveway, sidewalks and entry ways to the home clean from snow and ice. You certainly don’t want to be known as the home where the buyer slipped and fell before making it inside. Trust me, buyers see a lot of homes and they will remember you as that home. So throw on your winter coat, gloves and put in a little elbow grease in beforehand and I promise you, your hard work will pay off!
2. Having doormats are key. Place a mat outside the front entry, inside the front entry and in the garage. Don’t forget the basement door and patio door. This will save your floors and keep them clean longer.
3. Leave lights and blinds open. Do not use candles that will be unintended. It is simply too dangerous. Same goes with a fireplace. Looks nice, but it will be unintended. I love going into homes that have a combination of overhead lighting and lamps because it gives the rooms a very warm feeling. Bottom line: use every light source possible.
4. Yes, you want to project a bright and airy home, but turn off those holiday lights. You don’t want buyers to focus on your decorative décor. You want them to see your home and its benefits. Colorful holiday lighting is too distracting even to the most focused home buyer.
5. Keep holiday decorations to a minimum. You may have a lot of homemade ornaments, but go ahead and just pack them away to use at your new home next year. Pack now and have less to do when you move. You will be very thankful later!
6. Remove all religious items. It may offend someone if they have different religious beliefs.
7. Make sure you don’t have presents under the tree. This may sound silly but presents can sometimes be too tempting for children and even adults.
8. Scents are important and will lure buyers through the house. A nice cinnamon, vanilla, or pumpkin scent reminds buyers of holiday gatherings. Just don’t over do it. Febreze has a new dual scent plug-in that will rotate between two scents. Try it! Or fresh flowers on the table will work just as well.
9. Make sure to de-clutter your home. During the holidays, we sometimes like to stuff even more in our closets. Go ahead and clean them out and use a storage facility to hold those extra items. Better yet, donate those unused items to a local charity or a shelter. They will be grateful for your donation.
10. Try not to delay a buyer from seeing your home. If you are having a holiday gathering, make sure to let your agent know in advance. If you must delay a buyer, try not to for too long. This may be the only chance the buyer has to see your home. Again, buyers this time of the year are working on tight deadlines. So remember, if a buyer calls just a few days before the holiday, they are a very serious buyer! It just takes that one special buyer who sees your home as the ultimate present! I must say most sellers in the Lexington Kentucky real estate market are great about getting a buyer into see the home.
Those are just 10 tips for selling during the holiday season. For more valuable selling tips and seller insights, visit my Lexington, Kentucky Real Estate website. Of course, I would also be happy to make a visit to your home and give you a more personalized overview. Contact Me anytime via phone, text or email. And to find your new dream home, check out my dream home finder.
When you think of Real Estate, think http://www.kimsoper.com/ and let's get started today!
1 comment:
Super post Kim!
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