The holiday season is usually cold and muddy and not an ideal time to list a home for sale. Many buyers prefer to see a home during the warm seasons so that they can observe the exterior of the house and also get a chance to see the landscape. Sometimes, however, the seller says 'sell my house' as soon as possible or it is already listed and has remained on the market so long that the listing extends into the winter season.

Historically the real estate market slows down during this period but that does not mean there are no buyers out there at all. If a family must buy a home during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, there are usually two motivations behind it. Either they need a home to live in right now or they are motivated by the tax write-offs that a home purchase usually brings with it. If the home is to be listed during this time, keep the following tips in mind.

Staging is very important regardless of the season. Staging tells the buyer 'I want to sell my house.' When a buyer walks into a home full of another person's clutter, they can not see through it and place themselves into the home. A family who goes all out to decorate during the holidays should scale it back and allow just a few tasteful and religion-neutral decorations to highlight the best features in the home. Do not cover a gorgeous mantle with fake snow, for instance. Do not hide beautiful hardwood doors behind massive wreaths or wrap the spiral staircase in drapes of garland. A little festive touch is nice but do not overwhelm the potential buyers.

If the home is on the market, this should not be your year to host the family parties. This could be a huge disappointment or a huge relief to hear, but the home should be available for showings at almost every available time. This could be the right time for that trip to the Bahamas the family has always wanted to take. By going out of town, the home would remain clean and ready for showings. The only problem with this plan is that if someone does want to sign a purchase agreement, you must be available to your agent to accept or reject the offers. It is completely reasonable to want to have privacy for your family on a couple of days, so choose two or three days that you will not allow showings like Thanksgiving Day or December 25 but allow visits the rest of the time. You never know when your buyer is right around the corner.