Contrary to popular belief, the Spring & Summer markets aren’t necessarily the best time to sell your home, that is, if you’re looking to sell fast and for top-dollar! Although Spring and Summer appear to be a flourishing housing market, it is a result of a strong seller market in the winter months prior. Demand has an ebb and flow throughout the year but we typically see that the buyers that are active through the holiday season are highly motivated and the uptick we see in buyers at the beginning of the year combined with lower inventory levels create a higher demand to bring top dollar to our sellers due to less competition in the market with an increase in buyers. This means that taking your house off the market during the holidays and winter months can cost you thousands of dollars! 

Fear and uncertainty around selling a property during this time should not be a deterrent to you exploring all your home selling options. The mainstream media will tell you that April through June is the best time to sell a home, but those statistics relate to when the home went to closing. To close on your home during the warmer months, you need to be on the market in the winter months to take full advantage of the market and get top dollar for your home. Here are 5 reasons you should keep your home on the market through the winter and holiday season to ensure you get top dollar for your home! 

LOW INVENTORY

The conventional opinion is that Spring and Summer is the best time to sell. Because of this collective thinking, there is an influx of houses on the market, giving buyers a larger inventory to browse during the warm months. The competition is fierce, and often, sellers will have to reduce their prices to attract a buyer as they try to stand out amongst the other homes for sale. This results in the seller getting less money for their home.

During the winter months, less competition works in your favor—people have fewer options and will be more likely to purchase your home. If your house is priced competitively and you’ve taken the time to prepare it for showings, winter buyers will be less likely to negotiate the price down as there are less homes on the market that are available. Lower inventory means that buyers are competing for fewer homes which increases demand and historically results in the seller getting more money for their home. 

SERIOUS BUYERS

Cold weather filters out those buyers that aren’t seriously considering the purchase of a new home. During the warmer months, it isn’t uncommon for people to saunter into an open house without a clear buying plan or sense of urgency. Maybe they are looking to see what else is out there in a casual way. Nosy neighbors, daydreamers, and casual on-goers regularly stop into open houses during the warmer months, sometimes for something to do without intent to buy. 

People taking the time out of a busy holiday season to view your home are more likely to be serious, motivated, and ready to buy.  Many times, selling at this time is not a choice and current living situations change due to family or job changes. Whatever the case may be, you have a serious buyer with less options and a sense of urgency. As you can imagine, this easily leads to a higher likelihood of your home selling quickly and often higher than the average market price.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Some homes just naturally have that warm and cozy feel, some need a little help from a stager. As the old sales axiom goes: “People buy on emotion, and back up with logic.” Purchasing a home has a lot more to do with how a person feels about it rather than just logistics. Playing on the mood of the season will increase the likelihood of your buyer envisioning themselves living in your home during this magical time of year. Buyers tend to be more emotional around the holidays, so homeowners tend to leverage this psychological tip by turning up the heat, literally, or if you have the option of a fire burning, better yet. Put a festive treat in the oven and make the most of the season. 

Play up natural light for more appeal with your buyers. Winter means darker days with fewer daylight hours. Timing is everything, and having your showings available to get the best possible light is important.  Big fireplaces invite buyers to imagine sitting in front of them on a cold winter night. Get inspiration from this time of year. You are at an advantage since this just doesn’t happen during the summer months. 

While you’re embracing the winter months and getting ready to sell, it is important that you keep the sidewalks and driveway clear of both snow and ice. Curb appeal is always important and cannot be forgotten even if there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground and you think it won’t really matter.  It matters more. Navigating through cold slippery snow and ice can bring a bit of cold reality to the homebuyer that you do not want, so keeping your home safe is a must. All the little things that you naturally do really does help the buyer to envision their family in the home.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The end of the year is typically the time when people get notified they will be moving because of a job transfer, or sometimes, an offer comes through from another company. Lucky for you, these buyers are motivated and eager to close quickly! Yet another reason why you should keep your home on the market during this time of year! Taking your home off the market because you think it’s the wrong time to sell is a big opportunity missed! 

In addition, reducing their tax bill can contribute to why serious buyers make a move during the holidays. Buyers can deduct the mortgage interest, property taxes, and interest costs of the loan if a sale closes on or before December 31! 

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES

Although the Holiday season is a busy time for most Americans, there is still quite a bit of paid holiday downtime that serious buyers will leverage. This extra “free time” gives prospective homebuyers more chances to peruse your property instead of waiting for weekends. This all means more eyes and more opportunities for the right buyer to make an offer on your home. Take advantage of the extra time that your potential buyer may have to look at your home. In addition, being flexible on your end can be the difference in closing the deal. It comes down to basic supply and demand. The more buyers look at your home, the more money you will walk away with from your home sale! Be ready and available to sell!

THE BOTTOM LINE

We understand the hesitation to keep your home on the market as the days shorten, the weather grows grim, and the busy holiday season rapidly approaches. But taking your home off the market will cause you to miss out on the biggest opportunity for selling your home. If you position yourself correctly, you will reap the benefits! 

If you need help navigating the fall and winter markets, look no further than Reynolds EmpowerHome Team! We know the market and can help you get your home sold fast and for top dollar this Holiday Season. Don’t wait until Spring when you will get less money for your home, act today and get top dollar! 

We sell our listings 3 times faster and, on average, for $30,500 more than when you work with another agent. We do this by leveraging our database of OVER 15,179 qualified buyers in our Buyers in Waiting Program! 

Did you know that only 48% of homes that went on the market last year sold the first time with the first agent they hired? Most sellers last year had to call a 2nd or 3rd agent to get the job done, or even worse, not sell at all. The agent you hire the first time matters! Reynolds EmpowerHome Team sells 98% of our listings the first time, so when you hire us, your home is more likely to sell fast & for top dollar! To find out what we can do for you, Call or Text us at 304-316-6412!

Your Home SOLD Guaranteed At a Price You Agree to or We’ll Buy It.* No Gimmicks!