Selling in the New Year? How to Start Now

Posted By Tammy Emineth @ Dec 10th 2018 5:15pm In: Sellers

With Christmas right around the corner you are probably not putting a whole lot of thought into getting your home ready to sell, but if you're planning on selling the first of the year, starting now, even with just some tips and ideas can put you ahead of the game when the time comes.

Come the first of the year, you'll have a little bit more competition that you have now, so you'll need to be ready to market to those potential buyers. Here are some tips to starting now if you're planning on selling the first of the year.

#1. Talk to an agent.

Before you start looking around at the properties for sale, talk to an agent first. Things will literally change overnight once the Christmas season and the New Year's is over. They're likely could be anywhere from 10% to 20% and more listings after the first of the year than there are right now, so looking at what is selling and what's on the market now, is not a really good indicator of what's to come. Talking to an agent first is really your best bet. Look for an experienced agent that understands the market and has full knowledge of not just the Sedona area but your microbe neighborhood as well. Things can change from one community to another, so verify and interview agents that are very familiar with your neighborhood or your area of the city.

#2. Start packing now.

Even if you have gone a little minimalistic on the Christmas or holiday decorations, you can still start packing things away as soon as the Christmas season is over. These are items you will not use until you get to your new home, so carefully packed them away ready for transportation. You might even start clearing out a lot of your summer items or clothes that you just don't wear year-round and packing them away as well. Getting more minimalistic and decluttering as you put holiday decorations away will make things much easier when it comes time to pack up the entire house.

#3. Get a good idea of how much money you need.

Find out how much you need from the sale of your home. For instance, if you know that you owe $250,000 on your house and homes around your area might be selling now upwards of $400,000, take into account real estate commissions and taxes and get a good ballpark for what you might need to put down on your next house. Are you looking for a 10 or 20% down payment on your next home? Try to factor that into your profit so that you have some good hard numbers to show your real estate agent. But, as a side note, don't stress if you don't know solid numbers. That's something we as your brokerage can help figure out with you.

#4. Tend to little repairs and updates.

Has that leaky faucet or squeaky door been bugging you for several months? It's time to fix it. If you have time off during the holiday season use it to your benefit to fix little minor issues, updates, and repairs and if the home seriously needs an update, verify this with your agent before putting a lot of money into a home improvement project that may not offer you the best rate of return.

#5. Don't neglect the outside.

Even though we are not in the throngs of winter as a lot of cities in this country this time of year, our yards tend to get a little bit neglected during the winter season. Make sure you've pulled the weeds, trim the hedges and yards, cut back any trees, and be the front yard and front porch a very welcoming place for buyers and their agents. Also, as a side note, make sure there's enough space at the front door so that buyers and their agent still feel crowded when coming up to your front porch.

If you'd like to talk to one of our agents please give us a call. We have several agents that are well-versed in listing property in specific communities around Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek and can help you price your home, offer tips and suggestions to get it ready to list, and can sell it effectively and efficiently come the first of the year.