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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 8 | DECEMBER 2021
To Decorate or To Not Decorate: Selling Your Home During the Holiday Season written by RIKI MARKOWITZ
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The slowest time of the year for home sales is from November to the beginning of January, even here in Austin-Round Rock, where the residential real estate market is about as hot as it can get, and still manages to outdo itself year over year. But despite the onslaught of holidays and long weekends in that six-week period, life goes on. Lots of people are getting ready to start a new, out-of-state job; others move out of town to be closer to family; and then there are folks ready to upgrade or downgrade, depending on whether the family is still growing or if it’s empty-nest time. The point is, inventory may be lower during the holiday season, but plenty of homes still go on the market, which, from what we’re told, can be a little bit … complicated.
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Whenever a new home goes on the market, no matter what time of the year it is, buyer’s agents suggest that clients stage their homes. More than 80 percent of them said staging made it easier for potential buyers to visualize what it would be like to live in that home,” according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). In fact, the trade organization says that staged houses sell faster and sell for more compared to non-staged homes — anywhere from one to 10 percent above asking price. So what is the complication? Is it the Christmas tree in the living room or menorah on the mantle, the inflated Frosty on the front lawn, and the many other holiday accoutrements on doors, in windows, and in common rooms around the house? At first thought, you may be thinking, “Who doesn’t love holiday decorations?” It’s not that buyers mind cheerful Christmas decor, but they do need to picture themselves living in that house year-round. So for that reason, holiday decorations are a distraction. We spoke with a few local REALTORS to see how clients in Central Texas feel about home buying in November and December and what they think of touring a house decked [continues on page 16]
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CCIM Golf Tournament Austin Young Real Estate Professionals Happy Hour Williamson County Association of REALTORS Affiliate Breakfast HBA Young Professionals Council Happy Hour and much, much more!
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