Listing your house in December has its benefits.

There are a couple of reasons why listing your house right now is not such a bad thing.

As most people know the busy market is in the spring. There is a large inventory so you are competing with more properties.  If you list in December your competition is less.

The buyer’s are serious buyers. Most people are very busy around the holidays so taking the time out to view houses usually means that they are serious about buying.

There are also a number of things that should be done in your home to help it sell during the holidays.

• Keep the holiday decorations to a minimum. You don’t want the buyers to be distracted by your decorations or offended if it does not match their religious believes.
• De Clutter - Pre-pack all unnecessary items and store in a storage facility or garage. If a house is cluttered with “stuff” potential buyers will have a hard time looking past it all to see the house and what it has to offer.
• Don't keep presents out in the open during showings. That can be too tempting for some buyers or their children.
• Don't burn a fire in your fireplace or light candles for showings. Yes they will smell great and are nice to look at but they can be dangerous when unattended.  Instead have fresh cut flowers or air fresheners to help make your house smell wonderful.
• It is getting dark out much sooner and many showings are in the evening. Keep all lights on (inside and out).  A light, bright house sells.
• Fresh paint is the best investment you can make in your home. Remember, keep it neutral and remove ALL wallpaper. Wallpaper is one of the biggest decorating faux pas you can make since most all buyers will want to remove it and they know how time-consuming and boring it is.
• Keep the driveway and walkway clear and shoveled. You want to make it as easy and safe as possible for people to get to your front door

These are just a few tips that can really help you sell your house now and really anytime during the year.