Selling your home during the holidays

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By Ray “the Realtor” Kutylo
Signal Contributing Writer

While many home-sellers think having their home on the market during the holiday season is not a good idea, I take a contrary view on the issue. Here’s why:

The buyers who look for a home now are serious about buying.

Chances are, the casual looky-loos aren’t going to be out seeing homes or going to open houses. Also, there is a lack of competing inventory on the market for sale, so if your home is available and the buyer is ready, willing and able, your home may well be chosen by a motivated buyer. Finally, most homes show their best during the holidays.

If you are fairly new on the market, consider having a weekend afternoon open house exclusively for the neighbors. Invite your neighbors over for an hour or two with some light snacks and drinks, and have your Realtor deliver the invitation door-to-door a week or so in advance. Introduce your Realtor to your neighbors, and make it fun.

Here’s why it’s something to consider: Word-of-mouth advertising from the neighbors is great. They love the neighborhood since they live there, and they may know people who want to live there too. Don’t limit the attendees to just the neighbors you know. The neighbors you don’t know might know your home’s eventual buyer.

Do you live on one of those highly decorated holiday streets? Are you also “all-in” with the lights, Santa Claus with reindeer and all of the rest? That’s great! Lots of people seeing your Realtor’s “For Sale” sign is a good thing. When your home sells, you may want to leave the lights and decorations for your home’s new owner.

If you will be putting your home on the market early in the new year, there are some things you can do now to prepare your home for sale:

First, take the opportunity to declutter the home. Go room by room, removing the items you won’t need between now and moving day. Pay extra attention to cabinets, closets, and pantries. Second, depersonalize your home by pre-packing family photos, personal items, collections, and keepsakes. Third, if you have deferred maintenance, now might be the time to get it done. Painting, seeding and feeding the lawn, clearing out and getting rid of this you won’t be moving with you are a good thing.

Finally, go through and give your home a deep cleaning inside and out. Carpet cleaning, windows, dust and don’t forget the exterior. The stucco and siding may have dirt and cobwebs that a good powerwash can fix. Also, if you have signs or smells of pets, why not address them now? A super clean home tells potential buyers that you’ve taken great care of the property. And you will get a much better price for your home if you begin to work on these things now.

Ray the Realtor Kutylo is the team leader of the SCV Home Team at Keller Williams VIP Properties in Valencia. CA DRE 00918855 He can be contacted at 661-312-9461 or via email at [email protected]. The views expressed in his column are his own and not necessarily those of The Signal.

MLS Data Disclaimer: Based on information from the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing Service for the week ending on 11/30/18. All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.

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