David's thoughts on anything real estate related

Here are 9 tips from Real Estate Weekly on how to sell your home during the holidays. I think these tips are great for sellers to pay attention to any time of year.

It’s a tough real estate market out there right now. Prices are dropping slightly, sales are slower and there’s less interest in the $2 million-plus homes that were so hot last year. But Realtors report that desirable, well-staged, well-priced homes are still selling.

Here are some seasonal strategies to make your home stand out in the December/January market.

Tip 1. Be prepared to negotiate

Many people who want to buy in December and January are serious buyers who are aware that there are bargains out there. And this year in particular, buyers know that prices are dropping. Consult with your Realtor to determine the ideal price for your home and make a plan for negotiating to reach it. Don’t reject initial lowball offers. They may be just a starting point.

Tip 2. Add curb appeal

How do the front and back yard look? It’s winter and the garden is sleeping, but can you make it look better with pots of attractive winter-hardy plants? If you’re planning on selling, it’s probably worth the investment to hire people who can add curb appeal to your home.

Tip 3. Stage it and pare it down

This goes for any time you’re selling your home. Eliminate all clutter, remove personal touches — make your home as neutral as possible so buyers can imagine their own lives in your space. If you can’t bear to part with your personal decorations or clutter, hire a stager. Getting rid of stuff adds huge value to your home.

Tip 4. Decorate with discretion

Much as we love to lay it on thick during the holidays, decorations equal clutter, and clutter is a bad thing at an open house (see Tip 3). Instead of decking the halls to the hilt, just put up a few dramatic but simple decorations.

Tip 5. Go with nature

Avoid overtly religious seasonal decorations during the holidays. The Lower Mainland is home to so many cultures. In our multicultural region, you’re best to decorate with a nature theme: evergreens, rosemary branches, candles, berries, pinecones, lights. A few dramatic sprays or a small tree are festive without being overbearing.

Tip 6. Don’t hide flaws

House hunters want to see everything, so don’t use holiday decorations to hide some flaw. Cracks, mould, water stains, whatever.. it’s better to fix them than hide them. Otherwise, like the Ghost of Christmas Past, they’ll come back to haunt you.

Tip 7. Make it fragrant

This is the season when you can really appeal to the most primal sense: smell. For open houses, simmer a big pot of some kind of punch with apple and spices on the stove to make the space smell like everyone’s best memories. Or bake some special cookies just before you leave. Use real scents, not fake ones.

Tip 8. Keep it minimal

You’re busy, your Realtor is busy, everybody’s busy — you can get away with just a couple of open houses during the holiday season. There are interested buyers out there. They’ll come because they’re serious.

Tip 9. Gift wrap your home with a great online listing

Buyers will be doing much of their house hunting online, so work with your Realtor to make your listing really sell your home. Remove all clutter from areas being photographed, and use throw pillows or other small decorative accents to add drama. Include lots of photos — even a virtual tour — so viewers can get a real sense of your home. Include a couple of summer photos so people can see what the garden looks like at its best. In the listing itself, include key words that people will use in their online search, including the neighbourhood, the schools nearby, and the style of home. Use these more than once so the search engines will give your listing a better position in the search results. Finally, check the copy for spelling and grammar so it looks professional.