Resolve to Sell! More Quick Tips for a New Year’s Home Sale

Last Updated on December 16, 2024 by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging

Last year’s “Resolve to Sell” post was hands down our most popular blog post on Pinterest, so with that in mind, we thought we’d follow up with some more helpful home sale tips for sellers getting their houses ready to go on the market this year!

Is It a Good Idea to Sell Your House in the Winter? Should I Plan a Home Sale Before or After the New Year?

For some sellers, winter is a great time to sell! Selling your home before or during the New Year can have benefits, including tax benefits, fewer buyers, and motivated buyers: 

• Tax benefits: 
You and potential buyers may be able to take advantage of tax benefits like mortgage deductions, SALT deductions, and tax-free profits on the sale. 
• Fewer buyers: There may be less buyer traffic during the holidays due to inclement weather and vacation plans. This can make it less likely to have bidding wars. 
• Motivated buyers: Buyers may be more serious during the holidays and may be considering job transfers or end-of-year tax breaks. 
• Less competition: You may have less competition from other sellers before the New Year.

More Tips for Selling Your Home This Winter

1. Declutter. As a home stager, I can say this is unquestionably the number one issue most home sellers face when preparing to sell their homes. Buyers need to focus on your home’s great light, awesome space, and beautiful architectural features. You don’t want them distracted by your curios and collections! Packing starts before you list your home. Put away a good percentage of everything in the room to create a more clean, open, and spacious feel.
2. Make repairs. Buyers will almost always over-estimate the cost of repairs and may use that to low-ball an offer on your home. Eliminate the buyer’s mental repair list by fixing it yourself! Touch up paint, fix nail pops or tape-and-float cracks, and make sure appliances work properly.
3. Modernize. Make sure your home reflects timeless trends, not tiresome fads. Do you have lots of brass hardware that needs to be painted or replaced? Could those wallpapered walls use a facelift? Flip through home decor magazines and see how your home compares.
4. Clean, clean, clean! The dirty work speaks for itself but is often overlooked because you’ve lived there for so long. Are there cobwebs around the front entryway? Do the windows need to be wiped down? Is there mildew in the bathroom? Are there any cooking or pet smells? Ask your realtor or stager to be brutally honest and listen to their advice–buyers will notice!
5. Improve curb appeal. Curb appeal is the first impression and sets the tone for how the buyer will view the rest of the house. Remember the goal for the exterior of the home is the same as the interior:  a clean, open, sunny and well-manicured look. See Related: How to Improve Curb Appeal
6. Stage your house! Staging is one of the best investments you can make in your home sale, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Take a look at our DIY course designed just for home sellers.

Your New Year Home Sale: How We Can Help You Sell Faster and More Profitably This Winter

If you need help getting started or knowing what to tackle first, get in touch with us or take a look below at how we help homeowners all across the country! We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead as our business continues to grow, thanks to readers like you. We hope you’ll continue following our home staging adventures in the coming months!

Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive, empowering virtual consultations that help homeowners and real estate agents all across the country sell more quickly and for more money.