The Holiday Advantage for Selling Your Home on Bainbridge Island
I’m always a little surprised that more people don’t take advantage of the holiday season to sell their Bainbridge Island home. The spring selling season may be the most popular, but there are a host of reasons why, for a home that is already market-ready, you might think twice about waiting to list it.
Among the leading reasons that make this an especially advantageous time of year to sell a home is the financial motivation for some prospective buyers. Especially when an individual’s financial picture changes toward year’s end, a few prospective buyers find that the tax advantages of a purchase in the current year are reason enough to speed a sudden purchase. Classical supply and demand forces add another reason the decision to sell a home on Bainbridge Island now could be a good one. Since listing volumes taper off toward the end of the year, the choices are relatively few, increasing the value of each to motivated buyers.
Experience tells us that the average holiday-season buyer does tend to be more highly motivated, if for no other reason than that they are choosing to house hunt over all the other activities the season calls for. In short, this is not the season for lookyloos. There is also the advantage that holiday decorations add. The emotional appeal of a well done (not overdone!) display can augment a home’s underlying curb appeal. Add to that the fact that all of us tend to be a bit more emotional during the holidays, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find buyers more flexible in what they are willing to bid. As every merchant has come to realize, the holidays are shopping days.
For those who will be traveling for the holidays, rather than that being a reason to put off listing, those days can be ideal times to sell your home. The house will be unoccupied, clean and available for showings at any time of day—the perfect situation for turning the otherwise slow holiday season into a standout to those buyers who need a home now.
I will be working throughout, so give me a call if selling your Bainbridge Island home is an idea that makes good sense. The more available you make your home during the holidays, the more likely you’ll find a buyer during this hectic time of year.