You’re ready to build or buy a new custom Florida home with ICI Homes and sell your current one, but what if the latter coincides with seasonal holidays?
Uh oh. Selling during the time of year with the least seasonal distractions isn’t always an option. You must take ownership of that beautiful new custom Florida home and divest yourself of your current one — all while seasonal decorations spring up around you.
There’s a risk that potential buyers might be distracted by trick-or-treating, fall festivals and those big end-of-year holidays rather the practical necessity of house-hunting.
Check out these tips for selling during holiday periods.
Key takeaways
- Selling your home during the holidays can be successful with thoughtful staging and curb appeal.
- Keep decorations minimal and tasteful to highlight your home’s best features rather than distract buyers.
- Avoid offensive or overly animated décor that could turn off potential buyers with children or different tastes.
- Bright, energy-efficient lighting both inside and outside helps your home feel warm and inviting during shorter daylight hours.
- Even amid the busy holiday season, small touches of festivity can make your home feel welcoming and well cared for.
Don’t fight it
Don’t be the only home on the block without decorations. Even the simplest effort — especially if you’d usually decorate — allows your current home to appear curated and cared for.
A decorated home during special seasons also signals a neighborly vibe that could appeal to buyers. Yours might be the only one with a FOR SALE sign in its front yard, but join the community fun with twinkling lights, wreaths, and seasonal flowers in pots or planting beds.
On the flip side…
Don’t overdo it
We know — the kids like giant lawn inflatables during name-their-favorite-holiday. The reality is buyers likely won’t. They might want to see the lawn to gauge its health and appearance.
Another reality is that decorative clutter is unappealing in any season. Like many things in life, someone’s definition of decorative clutter is a personal preference. But, remember less always is more when staging a current home for sale, even during a celebratory period.
While potential buyers might compliment you on a minimal harvest arrangement near the front door, they want to imagine their stuff and their life in your current surroundings — without multiple Christmas trees, gourds, and inflatable Easter bunnies choking those landscapes.
A third reality is buyers wondering if overdone or extreme seasonal decorations are hiding potential problems. Like thick garlands that frame every window possibly concealing leaks.
Buyers — and their real estate agents — likely will examine structural details no matter the season or weather. So, don’t risk appearing to conceal a problem if there isn’t one.
Don’t be offensive
During spooky season, the larger-than-life ghost that shrieks ghoulishly when someone triggers its motion sensor, might scare potential buyers with small children.
So might a life-sized, animated Grinch in December, no matter how cute!
Do be light and bright
A well-lit home inside and out is a good selling strategy. Be sure your current home’s interior and exterior lights are in working order and use energy-efficient LED bulbs, if possible.
Vibrant interior and exterior landscapes — especially during holiday periods with fewer daylight hours — are in season no matter what the calendar says.
Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.