TOP 5 TIPS TO STAGE AND SELL YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS

The holiday months can be a great time to sell your home, since there is less competition in the market and most of the prospective buyers are highly motivated. After all, most people wouldn’t choose to move during a Wisconsin winter unless they had to!

However, the process does not come without its challenges. Traditionally this seasons sees less buyers in the market, which means that you have to get creative with your marketing efforts to reach the most people. And once you reach them, you have to move quickly and effectively so you don’t miss out.

Wondering how to get started? We’ve gathered the top 5 tips to stage and sell your home this holiday season. Follow these tips and you’ll have a stress-free and happy experience!

1| HIRE A RELIABLE AGENT

This might seem like a given, but still worth mentioning. A knowledgeable, reliable, and responsive agent could be the difference between a dreadful and a wonderful real estate experience. We know that the cold means less foot traffic so we leverage the power of our network and online platforms to spread the word about your listing, increasing your chances to get quality leads. Once those leads come in, we work fast and effectively to help you secure the best offer.

2| EMBRACE THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, BUT NOT TOO MUCH

While it’s okay to decorate your home, avoid religious tokens and symbols, as well as personalized decorations or family photos. Remember that you have to have your home ready to show at a moment’s notice, and the goal of a showing is for buyers to see themselves living in your home and fall in love with it. Family photos, personalized decorations, or religious themes can be distracting and dampen the buyer’s experience. When in doubt, stay with neutral, tasteful decorations such as lights, small floral arrangements, and other simple seasonal decor.

3| PRIORITIZE YOUR ONLINE LISTING

When the weather outside is frightful, most buyers are likely to start their search from the delightful comfort of their screen. From professional, quality real estate photos to video tours, and a thoughtful home description, your online listing should be eye-catching, typo-free, engaging, and impressive.

Note: When you work with, us you don’t have to worry about any of this—we make all of our online listings impressive!

4| PAY ATTENTION TO CURB APPEAL

Make sure to always keep a raked yard in the fall and a shoveled sidewalk and driveway in the winter. You might also want to consider touching up any paint on the siding and cleaning up the gutters. Remember that during these months you don’t have the advantage of green lawns and full bushes and trees, so you have to work extra hard to make your home’s exterior look good.

5| MAKE YOUR HOME AN ESCAPE FROM THE COLD

Crank up the heat, add some throw pillows, offer some homemade treats, and play soft classical music to make your home a cozy escape from the cold for your potential buyers. The more comfortable they feel, the more time they’re likely to spend admiring your home.

BONUS TIP: HIRE A CHENG REAL ESTATE GROUP AGENT

Our agents have a wealth of knowledge about the Madison area market and know the best strategies to sell fast and at a great price no matter the season. If you’re curious about the value of your home or need to sell it fast, give us a call! We’d love to chat and see how we can help you.