The answer is, maybe.
This past week I shot this beautiful 4 bed/3.5 bath single-family home in Cumming, GA that was decorated for Christmas and it went under contract in two days with multiple offers. BUT How You ASK?
Well it really depends on several factors including location, condition and PRICE.
LOCATION
In this area and this neighborhood, homes are still competitive. This home is in South Forsyth County which is a highly desirable area for schools and overall quality of life. This part of the county is easily accessible for getting to Atlanta and is close to 400 and North Georgia. So, consider where your property is located, and will it be competitive? If so, keep reading! If not, maybe leave the decorations off.
CONDITION
Even though the seller had Christmas decoration up there was still a few rules they kept. The house was still very clean. If you have a tree, make sure there are no needles under it, packages are wrapped and look nice and all the lights on the tree work. Keep the decorations decluttered and be sure there aren’t many (no more than three items) on any one surface. Make sure the color scheme is simple and complimentary to the colors on the wall and your furniture.
If you are selling while having decorations up definitely use Professional Photos. You want to make sure you’re showing off the space, the architecture and the feel of the home. Wide angle, well-lit photos will help put forth the best image of your listing. If your agent isn’t doing this for you- you may want to get a different agent. :)
PRICE
Listed at $375,000 the agent based the price on the comps in the area for the last three months and made the adjustments needed compared to other properties in the neighborhood. The higher the price point, could mean the home will sit longer on the market. This is where having a professional Real Estate Agent is extremely beneficial. They will be able to look at your area and see if they think the house will sell before the holiday season is over. You don’t want holiday photos sitting online too much into January because then people wonder what’s wrong with the house and why hasn’t it sold?
The RESULTS
So, can you still sell a home with Christmas decorations up? This home was in a competitive location, was in good condition (although it needed painting in the bathroom) but it was priced right and had multiple offers (3 actually) and went binding in two days after listing. During the time when most people think people aren’t buying, this home had THREE offers. You can imagine this seller was happy about that.
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