Get Your House Ready for a Christmas Sale
December and January have long been seen as the dead times of the year for the property market, with buyers more focused on Christmas and New Year than finding a new home. However, it’s not all doom and gloom (if you ignore the cold and lack of daylight hours…) for vendors. December can be a good time to launch your property on the market or to give it a bit of extra oomph if it’s been up for sale for a few months already, so don’t despair, bust out that cinnamon-scented candle and read on…
Make the most of the outside of your house
OK, it gets dark at 4.00pm and it’s cold, wet and miserable. You’ve been avoiding evening viewings for this very reason – but you could be wrong. Everyone loves the run-up to Christmas because of the lights – on doors, in windows, on trees and bushes. Christmas lights look welcoming and beautiful and inspire people to see your house as a home where they will spend many happy festive times.
One word of warning, though – keep those lights subtle. White or cream lights are by far the best. You do not want dazzling, blinking “Santa Stop Here” displays all over your roof. Go for understated and classy, as no-one can object to that, regardless of their own personal taste.
Make the most of the inside of your home
If you’ve got a viewing and it’s dark, open your curtains and have a (subtle) light in the window, or let people see into your living room, where there’s a tastefully decorated tree. Make them want to come in, and when they do enter, be making some cranberry sauce, or authentic Finnish gingerbread, or spiced hot chocolate. The sense of smell influences people much more than you think and it’s associations like these that may make someone fall in love with your house.
Adapt your decorations to the period and style of your house
If you live in a new house or flat, opt for modern, maybe even minimalist Christmas decorations. If, on the other hand, you live in an older or even period property, you can get away with going a bit retro, with garlands on the fireplace and banisters and so on. Find out who’s coming to see your house and maybe take away or add some decorations according to who they are. If it’s a young couple with children, maybe pass on some gingerbread to them; an older couple might appreciate the cranberry sauce.
