7 Top Reasons To List Your Home During the Holidays

Reasons To List Your Home During the Holidays

As the holiday season begins, many are looking for homes to buy. Here are the top reasons to list your home during the holidays. 

The holiday season is for spending time with family, exchanging gifts, and enjoying tasty food. It also creates the perfect time to sell your home. While most professionals recommend selling during the spring and summer, there are plenty of reasons to list your home during the holidays. 

During the winter season, it is typically a seller's market. This means there are fewer homes available than people searching for homes. As a seller, you'll have the upper hand and be able to sell your home faster for more money. 

One of the biggest considerations sellers have while finding a buyer is seriousness about the home. Buyers searching during the holidays are willing to fight holiday traffic, tight schedules, and difficult weather conditions to find a home. This seriousness is precisely what sellers want when looking for a home buyer. 

It is the best time to list your home before the new year and visit all the fun holiday events. Before anything, consider these reasons to confirm this is the best decision for you. 

Keep reading to learn all about the top reasons to list your home during the holidays.

1. Serious Buyers

Most homes are sold during the spring and summer months when there is an influx of home buyers. During open houses, the majority of buyers are visiting multiple homes and aren't serious about buying your home. The opposite is true during the holiday season.

As a seller, you want buyers who are serious about house hunting and not just browsing homes. When buyers are serious about a home, they are more likely to make a convincing offer.

An offer on a home shows the seller you are financially able to purchase a home. Offers on a home include deciding how much money to offer, contingencies, earnest money, an offer letter, and negotiations. 

A serious buyer will make a quick offer you can offer, counteroffer, or reject. When dealing with multiple offers, there are four main things to remember: accept the best offer and reject the others, ignite a bidding war, let all parties know there are other offers to encourage better-competing offers, counter the best offer and reject the rest. 

2. Less Competition

During the winter, there are typically fewer homes on the market and more buyers searching for their next home. As a seller, these are the ideal conditions you should want. Lower listing means more market visibility and opportunities for bidding wars. 

Houses will sell faster because of the supply and demand of housing available. Always consider the location, as some places do better in the winter than in the summer months and vice versa.  

Whether you are working with a real estate agent or selling for sale by owner (FSBO), you will need to market your home. This can take some creativity and skills, but when the demand is low, you won't have to work as hard to get your home noticed by buyers. 

In addition, this results in higher offers for the homes that are available. Listing your home now can mean selling it for more money than you bought it, which should always be the end goal. 

All in all, you want less competition from other sellers but more competition between buyers. This is precisely what can happen if you list your home during the holiday season. 

3. Staged Homes

Home staging is one of the more important components of selling a home, no matter the season. Buyers are looking for a clean and appealing home. The main goal is to create a space that buyers can picture themselves living in. During the holiday season, sellers have the advantage of holiday decorations.

Holiday decorations can create an emotional connection between buyers and the home. As a seller, you need buyers to not only remember but fall in love with your home. Making a festive and inviting home can not only create but directly increase this connection for buyers. 

While decorating and staging the home, keep it lowkey. You don't want to go too overboard on the decorations because that can overwhelm buyers and take attention away from the home. Over 80% of home buyers say it is easier to visualize a staged property as a future home, according to the National Association of Realtors. 

4. Tax Time

Buyers can gain many end-of-year tax benefits including deductions from mortgage interest, property taxes, and other expenses if they close on the home before the end of the year. 

Reducing property taxes is probably not the main reason a buyer is looking for a new home; however, to serious buyers, it is extremely beneficial. Understanding the tax benefits of owning a home is vital for citizens across the country. 

The tax benefits are good for both buyers and sellers. For sellers, you will attract more serious buyers and sell your home faster. This should be your main goal no matter what time of year you are listing your home. 

5. Year-End Job Transfers

The holiday season coincides with job transfers and relocations. Most companies schedule moves or promotions for January and February. This means buyers will be looking for new homes in the months before then. 

Employees don't typically have the luxury of waiting until the spring market, meaning they will make home decisions more quickly. As a seller, this creates the perfect situation for selling fast. 

Buying a home is expensive and stressful, but it is much easier than renting a home in your new job location and juggling searching for a new home. The majority of homebuyers would rather finish buying a home before they start their new job. Then, they can start fresh in January with their new job and beautiful home. 

Keep in mind that the relocating timeline will vary depending on the distance. Short-distance moves typically take one to three weeks and long-distance moves can take between four and eight weeks. 

In North Carolina, many industries are projected to grow strongly. The state is already home to 13 Fortune 500 company headquarters and dozens of facilities from the Fortune 500 list. If you are considering moving for new job opportunities, seriously consider Raleigh, Charlotte, and Durham. 

6. Buyers Have More Time 

Contrary to popular belief, most buyers typically have more time to make real estate decisions. For example, the holidays typically give employees extra time off, which can be used for house hunting. 

This slower pace of life will give potential buyers more opportunities to search for and view homes. Increased buyer activity also benefits sellers, allowing for more showings and open houses. 

At an open house, you don't want buyers to rush. They need time to visualize themselves there. As a seller, you need to create a spacious and welcoming atmosphere throughout the home. This can mean maximizing the home's square footage, creating well-balanced rooms, and using light decorations. According to the National Association of Realtors, buyers linger in staged homes for an average of 40 minutes, compared to just six minutes in a vacant home. 

While the summer months are known to be a good time to list your home, it is also one of the busiest times of the year for buyers. As the prime time for vacations, kids being out of school, and more, buyers don't have as much time to search for their next home. Meanwhile, during the holiday season, there is much more time to be allocated for a home search. 

7. Potential for a Delayed Move

After receiving an offer on your home, you have the opportunity to wait before moving. Buyers are typically willing to work with the seller to negotiate the best deal. 

During negotiating, both parties can decide on a closing date, allowing you to stay in your home during the holidays. This is a great option for those wanting to secure a sale but waiting to move out until after the holidays. 

By listing during the holidays, you are in a better position to buy come spring. Most wait till spring to sell and buy; however, if you have already sold your home, then you will have more time to find a better home. 

Remember that the spring market is typically more competitive, meaning you need to stand out in order to get the home you want. If you have already sold your home, you are a non-contingent buyer. Allowing you to make stronger offers and move faster on your next home purchase. 

Methodology

We used information and data from several different sources, as well as our own data, to determine everything you need to know about selling your home during the holidays. Most of the data was sourced from the following sources:

• HomeLight
• The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
• The National Association of Realtors (NAR)

FAQ: Listing Your Home During the Holidays

Here are some commonly asked questions about listing your home during the holidays.

What is the most popular day to list a house?

Most agents and professionals recommend selling a home during the afternoon, Thursdays through Sundays. The reasoning is that most buyers have work or kids to take care of during the day. In order to reach the most buyers, consider listing your home during this time. 

What month are the least houses sold?

January and February are generally the worst months to sell your home. Homebuyer activity is at its lowest after the holiday season, meaning your home may stay on the market longer and sell for less. 

When is the best time to sell my home fast?

The best time to sell your house the fastest is when inventory levels are at their lowest, and the pool of buyers is at its highest. This is called a seller's market when demand exceeds supply.

Should you list your home during the holidays?

Buyers tend to be more serious about buying a home during the holiday season. The holidays create the perfect environment to make your home festive and inviting, curating an emotional connection for buyers. 

What is the #1 feature to consider when buying a home?

The majority of home buyers are looking for a well-priced home. Along with specific features, location, and price are the most important considerations. 

Listing Your Home During the Holidays - The Bottom Line

As a seller, the biggest fear is typically that your home will not sell fast or for a lower sales price. However, there are a plethora of advantages to selling your home during the holidays. 

The end of the year symbolizes a season for new beginnings. Buyers can embrace this opportunity for a fresh start and a new home. 

Along with motivated buyers, decreased competition, and the addition of holiday decor, this creates the perfect opportunity for you to list your home. Next, you can look for the home of your dreams. 

As you search for your next home, Raleigh, NC, is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, with many stunning neighborhoods to choose from. Feel free to contact one of our helpful real estate specialists, as they are eager to help you find the perfect location. We know that investing can be overwhelming, but a real estate agent can walk you through the entire process.