Selling your home is a big job, one that’s fairly stressful. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, lots of planning to do, and quite a few obligations that will land on your shoulders. Not only will you need to think about your new home and the move, you also have to take care of your current home and keep it in good shape so that it’s always ready for potential buyers to see its value.
Going through all this during a busy time of year like the holidays can add more stress onto the process. It can be difficult to see the big picture when you’re dealing with hundreds of details, and that’s where exhaustion and even anxiety set in. Even if you have help, there’s a lot to think about.
Fortunately, there are a few simple ways you can make the process go smoothly; the key is to get organized and have a good plan. Read on for the best tips on how to go about it.
Go ahead and decorate
If you like to decorate your home for the holidays, go ahead! Usually, a seller will want to refrain from going overboard on decorations so that potential buyers can see the home as their own, but during the holidays, it’s easy to show off the best assets of your house. It’s still a good idea to leave personalized or religious-themed decor in the box, but you can definitely hang wreaths, put up a tree, string garland around stair railings, hang lights, or decorate the mantel. A roaring fire on a cold day adds to the feeling of comfort and coziness that will draw in a buyer. For more tips on how to decorate appropriately, read on here.
Get some help
Ask for help when you need it! This means knowing how much you can take on yourself and how much you’ll need to delegate to someone else. Keeping your home clean is obviously a priority when you’re trying to sell it, so think about hiring a maid service to keep it spotless while you take care of other things. The average cleaning service costs between $91-$188 for about five hours of work, and when you consider all the time it’s saving you, it might just be worth it. For more information on hiring a service in your area, check out this guide.
Be available
It’s not always easy to maneuver your schedule around everything that needs to be done during the holidays, but if you can be flexible, it may help you sell your home quickly. This is because when a potential buyer makes plans during the holidays to look at a home, you can probably assume they’re serious about it. Try to make yourself available according to their timeframe, and refrain from making commitments with family members while the house is on the market.
Ask someone else to host
Having your house up for sale means you need to keep it in tip-top shape at all times in case a potential buyer asks to come by for a walk-through, and this will make holiday get-togethers pretty much impossible, at least on your end. Ask friends and family members if they can be the ones to host the parties this year; this way, you can still attend but will have the option to leave if you need to.
Remember to take care of yourself during this time. The stress of moving on top of the usual holiday stresses may prove to be overwhelming, so focus on finding ways to relax and enjoy yourself along with your family. By keeping your eye on the prize and planning wisely, you can easily navigate the holidays and sell your home. Good luck!
Ms. Fisher has spent more than 20 years as a CPA, and is currently working on a book about financial literacy (due out in 2018). She also runs Financiallywell.info.