Winter brings its own set of problems to home sellers. Home buyers don't feel as motivated to go home shopping in cold, wet weather. Plus, the early nightfall makes buyers want to wait until the weekend to view houses. When the weekend rolls around, home shoppers get sidetracked with holiday activities. Besides the typical winter slow down in sales, todays market also makes selling your home more difficult. Market concerns include: 1. Rising interest rates
2. More houses on the market
3. Longer time frame--days on the market If you're selling your home or investment property during this shifting real estate market, you can tempt buyers to get out of their warm cars and take a look at your home with home staging methods. Here are a few home staging strategies to help you sell your home during the holidays: Home Staging the Exterior Door wreaths welcome all to your home and set the stage for celebrating. Make a simple wreath to hang on your front door with holiday colors that blend in with and dress up your homes exterior colors. Use tree branches from your garden; attach a few gourds or pomegranates, nuts, and ribbons. Group vines and mums or poinsettias for display impact near the front entrance. Adjust the vines to add height and movement. Add colored ribbons and fall leaves or evergreen branches. Holiday Dcor and Your Target Buyers Do your neighbors decorate their home exteriors with Christmas decorations? If your neighborhood supports Christmas themes, then your prospective buyers will appreciate your Christmas dcor. However, if your neighborhood doesn't decorate for Christmas, then your buyers may feel more comfortable without Christmas decorations. Play down Christmas if you live in an area that promotes "politically correct" holiday and seasons greetings instead of "Christmas Cheer." If you feel that you want to celebrate Christmas your way, go for it. Just understand that your home sale may take a little longer. Home Staging with Christmas Decorations Use less of your ornament collection this year. Don't over-crowd your rooms. You want your buyers to see your homes features. Rooms filled to the brim with decorations stop the buyers eyes from visualizing their own furnishings in your home. Plus, crowded spaces feel smaller. Examine your room colors and compare to your Christmas decorations. Do the reds clash? You may want to store ornaments with colors that don't add to the setting. Home Staging for the Senses During the Holidays Appeal to your buyers senses to make them feel at home. 1. Sight: Use amber-colored lights that give a rich warm golden glow to your rooms. Switch out your regular white light bulbs in a few table lamps with amber bulbs to make your home feel toasty-warm and inviting. 2. Sound: Play gentle well-known music without words. This makes buyers feel like singing along and picks up their step. Music helps buyers feel joyful in your home. 3. Smell: Use natural essential oils in a diffuser. Many people suffer from allergic reactions to artificial sprays. Simmer cider with orange slices, cinnamon and cloves. 4. Touch: Add silky and velvet fabrics to table tops that tempt the buyer to feel the softness. The brain interprets the sense of touch just by seeing softness. Also, use thick, fluffy hand towels in the bathroom and kitchen to soften the cold, hard surfaces of room typically filled with tile, granite, and porcelain. 5. Taste: Yes! The sense of smell contributes to the sense of taste. Make sure you're cooking something heavenly. Treat your prospective buyers like a guest. Invite them to share a warm drink and a sweet snack. The more time your buyers spend in your home, the more they have invested in it. Houses do sell all year long. If you're selling your home during the frantic holiday season, taking a few extra home staging steps can make a big difference in your sale. Happy Holidays! Jeanette Fisher (Use with live links only.) |
