If you’re thinking about selling your home in Scottsdale next year, these are three huge mistakes you need to avoid this holiday season – they could cost you the sale.
3 Holiday Mistakes to Avoid if You’re Selling Your Home Next Year
When you plan to sell your home, your To-Do list gets longer and longer – in fact, it might keep growing right up until closing day. But you can save yourself some trouble if you avoid these three holiday mistakes that many people make:
- Adding a new pet to your family
- Buying appliances or furniture that might not fit in your next home
- Taking on holiday-related debt
Here’s a closer look at each.
Holiday Home-Selling Mistake #1: Adding a New Pet to Your Family
Lots of people rescue pets during the holidays, and that’s great – but this year, if you plan to sell your home next year, you may want to wait until after you’ve moved and settled in. Potty training or teaching a pet not to scratch, claw or climb is tough when your house is on the market… and it leaves plenty of room for error when people want to come see your house.
Besides, you should never leave your pets at home during home showings. Moving a baby animal every time someone wants a home tour can be stressful (on you and your pet).
Related: Everything you need to know about pets and real estate
Holiday Home-Selling Mistake #2: Buying New Appliances or Furniture
If your real estate agent lets you know that you should invest in a new refrigerator, stove, dishwasher or other appliance to help sell your home, by all means, do it – but if you’re buying something that you intend to take with you when you leave, hold off until you’re in your new place. Unless you already know where you’re moving, and it’s a sure thing, you should put off big purchases until you’re settled into your new space. That way, you won’t risk buying something that won’t fit (or that just doesn’t “look right”). And when you wait, you won’t have to worry about moving a brand-new piece of furniture from House A to House B.
Related: Everything you need to know about home staging
Holiday Home-Selling Mistake #3: Taking on Holiday-Related Debt
Financial advisers always tell people not to make any major purchases, open new lines of credit or spend a lot of cash before they buy a new home – doing so can dramatically change your chances of getting the best terms and rates on a new mortgage. The holidays are no different. You should put off major purchases until after you’ve signed the dotted line on a new home. That way, it’ll be smooth sailing when you apply for financing to get your next place.
If a big purchase is absolutely necessary, you may want to talk to a lender about your situation.
