Preparing to Sell your Home in the New Year

With the holidays in full swing and Christmas spirit reaching an all-time high, you may be preparing to place gifts under the tree or cookies in the oven. As you settle down for the holidays, you may also be preparing to sell your home in the coming months. If that’s the case, you’ll want to take some pre-caution when indulging in this year’s holiday festivities as some holiday cheer could lead to a prolonged selling process next year. Here are 5 holiday splurges to avoid if you’re planning for an easy home-selling process in the year to come.

Holiday Splurges to Avoid

1. Christmas Decorations that Could Damage your Home

There’s nothing wrong with decorating your home for the holidays, but be aware of the damage your decorations may cause. For instance, try to avoid any décor that could make for repairs later, such as, holes in walls, marks on floors or dead spots from inflatable decorations. Try to keep the décor to a minimum this year and focus on preserving both the inside and outside of your home as you prepare to sell.

2. Huge Holiday Gifts

The main goal before moving is always the same: minimize and declutter as much as possible before moving. So, avoid buying gifts that are going to have to be hidden away after the new year. This will help you with your upcoming move and assists with the selling process. The basic rule of organization when selling is that you don’t want your closets to appear overly full, and thus giving the impression that there isn’t enough storage. Also, less clutter means more space and potential homebuyers love open floor plans that boast plenty of room.

3. Investing in New Appliances or Furniture

Any gift that is specific to your current home’s layout should not be purchased prior to moving, this includes both furniture and appliances. Unless you already have your new home and know that you’ll have plenty of room for these new items, this type of gift should be bought next year. At the end of the day, these types of purchases prior to moving end up costing you more either way as you’ll have to pay someone to move it, or you’ll leave it for the new homeowners who buy your house in the coming months.

4. Taking on Holiday Debt

If you’re looking to sell your home, then this is not the year to make major Christmas purchases. Chances are you’ll need to get approved for a mortgage on your new home sooner rather than later. Racking up debt during the holidays, whether credit card debt or a loan, can hurt your chances of getting approved when the time comes to apply for a new mortgage.  When in doubt, speak with your lender to see how much you could spend on big ticket items without hurting your credit score.

5. Bringing Home a New Family Pet

For many families, the holidays are a great time to add a new four-legged friend to the household. But before you make the decision to bring in another +1 to your family equation, think about how it will be trying to sell your home and move with this new furry family member. Showing a house with a pet can be challenging enough, even when it’s not a new pet and the moving process in general is not very pet friendly. As you prepare to sell your home in the new year, think about simplifying the process as much as possible and consider waiting until after you move to surprise the family with a new pet.