Despite the misconception that the fall or winter months aren’t prime times for buying a home, buyers can save a lot of money and even reap some tax benefits. Here are a few reasons why you should buy your home before the new year.

 

Less Buyer Competition

While many buyers have already rushed to buy their home in the spring and summer, coasting into the market during the fall and winter months allows you to appeal to more sellers since they aren’t getting as many offers. Your offer will be among the few that sellers will have to choose from, which can give you an edge. Lenders, appraisers, and inspectors also have more availability after the spring and summer rush, ultimately getting you closer to closing. 

 

More Motivated Sellers

You’ll find that sellers can be more motivated during the fall and winter because their home either has been sitting on the market for months with no luck or they’ve made a sudden decision to sell and need to sell quickly. At the end of the year, many sellers are feeling the pressure of selling their home since most buyers have put their home search on hold until the beginning of the year. 

 

End-of-Year Tax Benefits

Some of the greatest perks about year-end home buying are the tax benefits. Closing on your home by December 31st allows for some sweet mortgage-related deductions. Home loan interest, property taxes, and interest costs can be used as deductible items when filing your taxes and save you hundreds of dollars. While access to these benefits doesn’t disappear on January 1st, but if you want to claim these deductibles as soon as possible it’s best to buy before the new year. According to the National Association of Realtors, new homeowners can deduct a percentage of purchasing expenses in the tax year when the home was purchased.

 

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are a team of experts who can help you find your dream home even during the holidays. If you’re looking for a home in Roswell, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, , and the surrounding Atlanta area, give us a call at 770-352-9658 or send us an email at Info@KarenCannon.com. You can check out our current listings here.

Just after reading the title of this blog, you might be thinking something along the lines of “no way, I’ve always heard that spring is the best time to put my house on the market.” Let us be the first to tell you that is no longer the case.

Here’s why putting your home up for sale during the holidays can be a smart move:

 

Low Supply, High Demand

One of the greatest benefits of having your house on the market during the winter is simply the fact that not many people will be doing the same. The majority of homeowners still believe that spring and summer are the best times to sell their home. With greater demand than supply in the colder months, you’ll have less competition and a greater chance of selling your home.

 

Top Agents Know How to Maximize This Time of Year

Expert Realtors understand the advantage of selling a home this time of year and have unique plans and resources to attract the best buyers. Whether buyers are relocating for a job or transferring into a new school, a knowledgeable agent will be able to market to the right buyers and agents.

 

People are Ready to Move 

If people are actively looking for homes during the holidays, there’s a good chance they need to move quickly. Therefore, they are more serious about buying a home. Most of the time, people only want to spend their holidays house hunting if they really need to move. If that’s the case, your odds of being able to sell your home quickly are looking “merry and bright.”

 

Decorated Neighborhood

Last but not least, remember the appearance of your neighborhood. Any potential buyer will be paying attention to the area around the home they’re interested in. With the holidays just around the corner, your neighbors will likely adorn their homes and yards with holiday decorations. The festive decor and hanging lights will have most potential buyers feeling welcome in the neighborhood before they even view your home. If you decorate your listed property, keep a tasteful and simple aesthetic in mind. Overdecorating can make your property feel crowded and unappealing. We recommend adding just a few warm touches to make the home feel cozy.

 

Expedited Transaction Process

There are typically  fewer transactions, loan applications, and home inspections around the holidays. Selling your home this time of year creates the potential for an expedited transaction process. That means a faster turn-around once you have found a committed buyer and a less stressful holiday season for you!

 

If you’re thinking of selling  your home in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, or the North Atlanta area, we can help. Give us a call us at 770-352-9658 or email info@KarenCannon.com. You can also check out our current listings here.

Properly staging your home can make a huge difference in the time it takes to sell. In a 2019 National Association of Realtors report, a quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the buyer’s offer by 1-5% compared to similar homes that weren’t staged. It’s safe to say that going the extra mile is worth the time and money. 

 

DO Enhance Your Curb Appeal

The outside of your home is a potential buyer’s first impression, so you have to make it count. Spruce up your landscaping and your home’s exterior appearance. Plant flowers, mow your lawn, trim the hedges, repaint the shutters and front door, and add a charming welcome mat.

 

DO Declutter

Clutter is your kryptonite when staging. The goal of home staging is for the buyer to imagine themselves living in your home. That’s difficult when rooms are overcrowded with too much furniture and personal belongings. Keep it simple and declutter each room. This will not only help keep the buyer focused on the home’s amenities, but also make your rooms look bigger.

 

Do Remove Personal Items

You are more likely to make a sale if the buyer can visualize themselves in the home. This can be difficult if your listed property feels like your home instead of their home. While you cannot predict the tastes of each individual, you can create a tasteful but neutral aesthetic that is appealing to most buyers. Remove any personal items, artwork, photos, or other decorations that reflect your unique personality and interests. 

 

DON’T Overstage

While staging is important, don’t overdo it. You don’t need to buy a bunch of new furniture and cover every inch of space on the wall. Remember, the goal is to appeal to the most buyers by keeping it simple and spacious. Today’s buyers often prefer neutral paint and uncluttered furniture spaces. This will leave more opportunity for them to easily imagine themselves living in your house. Staging can be as simple as rearranging furniture and displaying tasteful items you already own to present your home favorably online and in-person.

 

DO Focus On The Rooms That Count

Don’t feel the need to perfect every room. The 2019 NARs report also found that staging the living room was found to be most important for buyers, followed by staging the master bedroom, and the kitchen. Focus your energy on making sure these rooms capture buyers’ attention the most.

 

DON’T Do Major Renovations

We understand the pressure is on when selling your home. But most likely, there’s no need to turn your home into an HGTV project. Best practices are to make improvements where they have the most impact like re-painting, replacing old flooring, and updating fixtures.

 

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we offer professional home staging for listings as a value-added service to help our clients sell faster at top dollar. If you’re looking to sell a home in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, or the North Atlanta area, give us a call us at 770-352-9658 or send us an email at info@KarenCannon.com. Check out our current listings here.