Welcome to the month with the most fun – December! Parties, visitors, traveling, shopping, cooking, baking, eating, gift-giving… Unfortunately, all those social plans don’t leave a lot of room for managing real estate during the holidays. What we mean is that buying, selling, investing and moving (ugh, moving) seem like they get pushed to the back burner while we focus on festivities instead.
But the holidays don’t necessarily mean we get to put the business parts of our lives on hold. Here are some tips on making your December productive – especially if you don’t want to lose precious time and money!
- If you’re a buyer still looking for the perfect home, then you most likely don’t want to stop that search just because it’s the holidays! However, this time of year is particularly busy for your agent, so make sure to communicate with him about setting up showings at least a day (or more if possible!) in advance. This way he’ll make sure he allocates plenty of time to spend with you AND you won’t get turned down for access to the homes you really want to see.
- On the flip side, if your property is listed for sale, know that there will still be showings in December. Instead of being frustrated at the ‘intrusion,’ leverage the opportunity to do your own holiday “staging” and show buyers how amazing, inviting, warm and friendly your home is so that they can envision their own holiday there. Keep it clean and classic!
- Along these lines, take advantage of the whole world’s obsession with pumpkin spice and other holiday scents. Use holiday smells to tug at the heartstrings. We’ve yet to meet any buyer not warmed by the scent of Christmas tree, cinnamon cookies or mulled spiced cider.
- When looking at potential properties, tread lightly. Be particularly mindful and respectful of people’s homes, traditions, and their belongings during showings. Yes, they are hoping to sell, but for now, this is still their ‘home for the holidays.’
- If your home will be shown to a buyer, keep basic security in mind. Thin the family photos out on display, don’t leave expensive gifts in opportunistic places, and this one applies year-round: NEVER allow a “buyer” to walk up and “take a look around” without an agent-scheduled appointment.
- Here’s a fun one – indulge yourself in new ways of celebrating the holidays! By exposing yourself to other people’s customs and traditions, you might just feel the magic in a new way. Perhaps a new recipe, a new way to lovingly decorate your home? Maybe you’ll even get the inspiration for a new home in a new neighborhood, in which case you’ll need us. 😉
That’s it from the Desert Dimensions Properties team for now! Enjoy the holiday season with friends and family, and we hope you’ll think of us if you still need to ‘make it happen’ before the end of the year! ☺ Contact us today if we can help.