Tips On Selling Bergen County Home During The Holidays

Posted by PAULA CLARK @ 10:25 am, December 16th, 2008

Many Bergen County sellers take their homes off the market because they just can’t deal with the hassle of cleaning up for a showing or open house at the same time they are trying to celebrate, entertain, shop, wrap, bake and decorate with family and friends.

If you want to keep your home listed during this holiday season, keep in mind these tips provided in an article by Alex Boyle at Courant.com.

Keep your thermostat turned up, and light a fire in the fireplace or have your agent flip on the gas fireplace when showing the house. A lot of people turn the heat down while they’re at work. Keep the home warm and well lit at this time of year. There’s nothing worse than walking around a house when it is cold and dark.”
Replace your dim light bulbs with higher wattage bulbs to brighten the room; raise the shades to let the most light in; and consider having your windows professionally washed to create even more sparkle.
Yes, it’s a festive time of year, but you may want to leave the 10-foot inflatable snowman in his box while you are trying to sell your home. Too much stuff makes a house look smaller than it really is.
If you’re Christian, most homes never look better than when they’re decorated for the holidays with the Christmas tree, the wrapped gifts — it’s just beautiful Holiday decorations are a form of staging, so set the table with china and crystal and make it look warm and inviting so clients can envision themselves in this home for the holidays. It helps. People today don’t have a whole lot of imagination. You have to draw them a picture.
Pare down the clutter, and follow all the other rules for preparing a house for sale. Although there are so many fun yet time-consuming activities at this time of year like parties and visiting friends, don’t slack off on cleaning, and paint your home before putting it on the market.
Price it right, and make it pretty. Take down most of your personal photos, which can be very distracting. The house should look like somebody is living there, but barely living there.
Hold off on cookies and cider. Who needs more food at this overindulgent time of year?
Potential buyers may not like the aromas of cooking or baking; most want a clean smell to greet them when they walk through the door.
Avoid cheap scented candles or even expensive ones. Spray Windex instead.

If all of this sounds like a lot of work, it is, especially at this time of year. Is it worth the trouble to keep your home listed? Agents shout out a resounding “yes.”

People looking to buy during the holidays are serious buyers who may be relocating from another area. Families like to look at homes during Christmas vacation because the children are off from school.

Looking to buy someone special in your life a new Bergen County home for the Holidays? Visit PaulaClarkRealtor.com or give me a call. I’ll even bring the bow!