Selling Your Home in the Winter…It’s The MOST Wonderful Time Of The Year!!!
This is the time of year we hear clients say: Should we take our home off the market for the holiday season? Isn’t this the quiet time for real estate? This is old way of thinking…before the invention of the internet (maybe you have heard of it?) The real estate market is open ALL yearlong with online lookers. Statistics show the majority of people start their search online first. There are some general rules we like to follow during this time, but this is a GREAT time to be selling your home.
Top 4 Reasons to Sell Now:
- Mortgaging Changes
- Serious Buyers
- Houses Look Pretty
- Less Inventory = Less Competition
Mortgaging Changes
As many are aware, new financing rules come into effect January 1st, 2018 this year. Many buyers that have been thinking of making a move are feeling a little more pressure to get a deal in place before this deadline. This is not the best news for Buyers but it’s fantastic news for people currently listed for sale.
Serious Buyers
Having your Orangeville home for sale is not a pleasurable experience…having showings and being displaced from your home, having it show ready at all times and other things that go hand-in-hand with being listed for sale. During the warmer months, sometimes people just like to look at homes and get decorating and design ideas (a good realtor would typically only work with qualified buyers) however we do know that some buyers never get “off the fence”. Buyers looking during this busy holiday season, tend to be serious buyers. They could be doing a dozen other things than coming out in the cold and the dark to see a home. So if you do have your home for sale at this time, please do everything possible to accommodate showings. These buyers are the real deal. As well make sure your home is available especially on weekends when there is much more light for people to see the yard as well. Open Houses may not be attended as well, but again the serious buyers are the ones we want anyway.
Houses Look Pretty
Christmas lights and pretty decorated urns give great curb appeal. A little blanket of white snow can just be the icing on the cake! We do not tell people to not decorate at all, but just maybe ratchet the decorating down a notch. You don’t want to “over stuff” rooms with every knick-knack but a few small décor items can give your Orangeville home just the right warm and homey feel. Our stager would suggest the color palette of decorations that make your home show like a magazine! Let’s face it, people like decorations this time of year, we just want to accent the house and not selling décor items.
Less Inventory = Less Competition
And the number one reason to be selling your home this time of year is….LESS COMPETITION!!! We have determined there are still people looking for homes maybe because of the new mortgaging rules or maybe because of tax incentives. The New Year brings with it new year’s resolutions; perhaps no more wasting money on rent or family dynamics changing…whatever the reason, people still need a place to live. When most old school thinkers want to “wait for the Spring when the gardens look pretty” you will already be sold and moved into your new location! If there are fewer homes on the market, those buyers will be looking a little closer at your Orangeville home. If you have been on the market for a while, maybe this is the time to capitalize on the lack of inventory. Maybe this is the time to “freshen” your listing, time to make a significant price adjustment and relist as a fresh new listing and look for those serious buyers. Opportunity may be knocking, but don’t miss out because the Christmas carols are blaring in the background!