All that Glitters is Not Gold During the Holiday Season
For home buyers, there are definite advantages to shopping around during
the winter months, including the ability to test out features first-hand
that would be difficult to judge during the summer. Just one such
feature is the fireplace. While you won't find a warm fire going while
home shopping in mid-July, shopping for a home during the winter
provides the distinct ability to discover whether the fireplace works
rather than waiting. Shopping during the winter also provides the
opportunity to find whether the heating system is up to par. In
addition, you also gain the chance to pinpoint whether there are areas
of the home that might be particularly damp or cold.
When shopping for a home during the winter months; however, it is
important for buyers to be aware of a few selling tactics homeowners may
use to try and make their homes seem more appealing. For instance, many
homeowners will try to tempt buyers with the smell of hot apple cider or
freshly baked cookies permeating the home. While these warm winter
scents can certainly be appealing, it is crucial that you not be
distracted from seeing the home as it really is.
While the home may smell like cinnamon and nutmeg, could it be that
those aromas are actually covering up a musty smell? What about all of
the holiday décor? Take a look beyond it to carefully look at the paint,
flooring and fixtures? Does everything appear to be in good order or is
the paint peeling, the flooring stained and the fixtures outdated?
Looking past the glitz and glitter of holiday decorating is imperative
to making a sound decision when shopping for a new home. It is
oftentimes easy for sellers to dress up a home to appear more appealing
than it really is the rest of the year.
Buyers shopping during the winter months may also notice that agents and
homeowners alike tend to be more aggressive while trying to secure a
deal than during any other time of the year. This is often due a lack of
any other prospects. In light of such pressure, buyers will need to
stand firm to ensure they do not find themselves caught up in agreeing
to a deal before giving it due consideration.
In the event you think you may have found a property that interests you,
make certain you do not give into pressure to close the deal without
having the property professionally inspected. There can oftentimes be a
push to close a deal before the holidays or the end of the year;
however, the rush to get into a new home should not replace caution. A
professional property inspection can oftentimes reveal problems which
might reveal that what at first seems to be a good deal is really a
money pit.
By hiring a professional
property inspector to go over the property you
will be assured of discovering any problems prior to making a commitment
so you can go into the deal with your eyes fully open. Furthermore, if
problems are discovered with the property, this provides you with a
powerful negotiating tool. If the problems uncovered by the property
inspection are not serious enough for you to decide to kill the deal,
you may be able to utilize the results of the property inspection in
order to negotiate a lower price or more attractive terms.
At one time, the home buying process was often limited to the warmer
months. Due to the evolution of mobile technology; however, the house
hunting process has become a process that can be conducted year-around.
This has certainly proved to be a boon to buyers throughout the country;
most particularly for those looking for property in warmer areas such as
California, Texas and Florida. Buyers now have more access to properly
listings than at any other time in history. No matter what time of the
day or night, if you're interested in finding real estate to purchase,
you can access information on property listings 24/7.
Real estate agents around the country have certainly found this to be
true. While home sales overall do tend to decrease during the holiday
season, traffic to real estate websites remain strong throughout the
year, even into the holidays.
Whether you are considering the purchase of your first home or a second
home, mobile technology allows you to easily and quickly view property
details no matter what time of the year it may be. By staying cautious
and seeing past the glitter and glitz of the holiday season, buyers can
be assured of finding a property that is just right for them.
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