The Art of Selling a Home During the Holiday Season

Photo courtesy of Getty Images Selling a home during the holiday season presents a unique opportunity. While winter months traditionally see fewer buyers, those who are looking tend to be more serious and motivated. A strategic approach is key to making your home stand out and ensuring it appeals to holiday buyers. From keeping your home show-ready to adding tasteful holiday decor, here’s how to create a cozy, inviting atmosphere that will make potential buyers fall in love with your property.   Embrace the Seasonal Advantage Photo courtesy of Unsplash First, let’s consider the benefits of selling during the holiday season. While fewer homes are on the market, this can actually work in your favor by reducing competition. Serious buyers who have set a goal of moving by the new year are often more decisive. Additionally, the holiday season brings out a desire for comfort and coziness, making it the perfect time to showcase your home as a warm, inviting space.   Keep Holiday Decor Simple and Elegant Photo courtesy of Unsplash Holiday decorations can create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, but it’s crucial not to overdo it. Too many decorations can make a home feel cluttered or distract from its key features. Aim for a sophisticated, minimalist approach: Choose a Color Scheme: Opt for a neutral or classic holiday color palette (like white, silver, and gold) that will appeal to a broader range of buyers. Avoid colors that clash with your home’s existing decor. Avoid Overly Personal Decorations: While family photos and personalized items are great for your own celebrations, they can make it harder for buyers to envision themselves in your home. Instead, focus on decor that conveys warmth and style without being overly personal. Highlight Key Spaces: Add a few tasteful touches in main areas like the living room, dining room, and front entrance. A simple wreath on the door and a few well-placed candles can go a long way in creating ambiance.   Create a Cozy Atmosphere Photo courtesy of Unsplash Winter buyers are looking for comfort. Help them envision cozy winter evenings by: Lighting a Fire: If you have a fireplace, keep it lit (or staged as though it is) during showings to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Use Warm Lighting: Replace cool, harsh lighting with warm-toned bulbs. Light some candles to add subtle charm without overwhelming the space. Layer with Textiles: Soft blankets on the couch, textured throw pillows, or a plush area rug can help make your home feel like a haven from the winter chill.   Keep It Clean and Clutter-Free Photo courtesy of Unsplash In a season filled with decorations, keeping a home clutter-free can be challenging but essential for showings: Stay on Top of Cleaning: With winter weather comes mud, snow, and dirt tracked in by visitors. Consider placing a mat at the entrance and politely offering shoe covers during showings to keep floors pristine. Stay Flexible with Scheduling: Buyers’ schedules might be more varied during the holiday season, so it’s important to remain flexible. Be prepared for last-minute showings by making sure your home is always presentable.   Maximize Curb Appeal in Winter Photo courtesy of Unsplash When the outside world is often gray and barren, a little extra curb appeal can make your home more inviting: Clear Walkways and Driveways: If you live in an area with snow, ensure all pathways are clear and safe. A freshly shoveled driveway or a salted walkway shows buyers that the home is well-maintained. Add Simple, Seasonal Touches: A well-placed wreath, a few potted evergreen plants, or even a tastefully lit outdoor tree can enhance your home’s exterior without overwhelming the landscape  

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Guide to Shopping Local This Holiday Season in Boise

Photo courtesy of Pexels Want to keep your gifts local and support native businesses in the Treasure Valley? We've gathered our favorite shops and events to pick up unique, hand-made, and Idaho gifts for everyone on your list! Events Wintry Market: The perfect place to find gifts, the Wintry Market is a maker’s market in Boise featuring local vendors of art, crafts, and design. This market takes place Friday, Nov 22nd, from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov 23rd, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the main floor of the Boise Convention Centre downtown Boise on the Grove Plaza. Food, coffee, and drinks are available to purchase, and admission is $5 on Saturday and $10 on Friday (good for both days).  Merry Makers Market: This market is a month-long pop-up shop with a curated selection of locally handmade gifts. Opening day is November 30th for this artist-created and run market! This pop-up will be located at 1459 North Milwaukee Street and is open through December 23rd. Various Gifts Mixed Greens: Sitting in the heart of Downtown, this local boutique features unique items with something for everyone. For a locally made soap bar, handmade jewelry, unique hand towels, and more, Mixed Greens is the place to go. They also sell lots of Idaho-themed products, the perfect gift for Gem State lovers. RePop Gifts: Filled with an electric mix of pop culture and fandom favorites, this store is sure to have a gift for every fanatic. Products come from over 30 local vendors, as well as regional and national artists. Jewelry Fluff Hardware: Fluff Hardware is a small, women-run, local business that provides unique jewelry pieces inspired by Idaho’s outdoors! Stores also feature other local businesses' hats, purses, and textiles as a one-stop shop for women’s accessories.  Sweets and Other Goodies Goody's/G Willikers A gift for the sweet tooth! Located in Hyde Park, Goody’s has been a neighborhood staple for locals and visitors alike! Their gift selection includes candies, homemade chocolates, caramel corn, cheese corn, stuffed animals, and greeting cards! City Peanut Shop City Peanut Shop has become an iconic part of Downtown Boise, featured in international blogs and magazines. They are famous for their honey-roasted peanut butter, nut-filled brittles, flavored popcorn, and their healthy, uniquely flavored peanuts and tree nuts. a'Tavola Gourmet Marketplace: A gift for the foodie! a’Tavola Marketplace features a wonderful assortment of imported specialty foods, unique gifts, and all manner of things “of the table.” Wine Hyde Park Fine Wines Boise’s favorite wine boutique! Purchase a monthly subscription for the wine lover on your list, including three new wines each month from around the world! Plants A Succulent Day: This local business offers unique succulent arrangements with in-store shopping, pick-up, and delivery options.  Books Rediscovered Books: Located in downtown Boise, Rediscovered Books is “where books and people meet." With a cozy atmosphere and a mix of used and new books, the perfect gift for a book lover is sure to be found. Candles Lit and Co: With an array of creative scents and made in small batches, these high-quality soy candles are the perfect gift.  Outdoor Gear Idaho Mountain Touring: IMT has something for every outdoor enthusiast, with hiking, biking, camping, skiing, and running gear galore.  McU Sports: A Boise favorite since 1972, McU Sports offers an array of ski and snowboard, outdoor, and sports gear. Clothing Ruby Lou: This local boutique has plenty of cute pajamas, sweaters, and other pieces that make the perfect gift for any fashionista.  SHIFT Boutique: This boutique stocks high-quality and unique pieces, with clothing for both women and girls. Banana Ink: The dream for any Idaho lover, this store features sweatshirts, shirts, and hats adorned with tributes to the Gem State.      

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Your Guide to Stress-Free Hosting Over the Holidays

Photo courtesy of Ziga Plahutar With the holidays nearing, hosting family and friends at your home can either be the highlight of your year or a daunting task. Regardless of the scale of your event, your culinary skills, or the size of your home, hosting can... and should be enjoyable! So here are a few tips to make the most of hosting this year.    Prepare. Hours feel like minutes on the day of any event. You can take 70% of the stress off your plate simply by creating a game plan and knocking things off your list days in advance.  One week before Gather a guest count, design your menu, outline your to-do list, tidy up the yard, replace light bulbs, and tackle those lingering tasks that you have been putting off for months. Your home doesn’t have to be perfect, but tackling these things will help you feel more at ease come guest arrival.  Two days before Deep clean your house, or better yet, hire a cleaning service. Make a thorough grocery list and get your shopping out of the way. Buy more than you think you need so you don’t risk an emergency trip an hour before the party.  One day before Prep as much food as possible beforehand. Cut the potatoes and veggies, refrigerate the casserole, and marinate the meat to establish a ‘plug and play’ system the day of. Set the table, pick out your outfit, and set out the flowers—you get the idea.    The menu is less important than the experience.  The funny thing about hosting is that the food is often the primary source of stress during the holidays; however, a happy host and a good ambiance have a far greater influence on the success of any event. Whether you’re a culinary aficionado or not, here are a few tips to prioritize simplicity in the kitchen.  Stick to your strengths. Choose dishes that you have successfully made before, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If cooking isn’t your forte, focus on the main dish and ask guests to bring sides. In most cases, people will reach out and offer to help—so let them!   Choose dishes that get better with time or are good served at room temperature. Coordinating the perfect timing for multiple dishes with guest arrival can be challenging, so put out some appetizers and drinks for the early birds, and select a menu that allows flexibility in timing.    Set the ambiance. The ambiance of your home is arguably the most important factor in a successful gathering. Besides ensuring tidiness, create a warm welcome by dimming the lights, lighting candles, and queuing up a dinner playlist. When music is on in the background, the energy of the party is in place before any guests arrive, ensuring there will never be an awkward silence (even for the early birds). Spotify has a ton of great playlists depending on the mood of your party.  Crafting a simple cocktail is an easy way to make a great first impression. Beer and wine is a no-fuss alternative, but always have something prepared and ensure to have non-alcoholic options. Depending on your group, prepare some table topics if the conversation needs a nudge.  Set the table with elegant place cards that have thought-provoking questions on the back. This not only sparks hours of engaging table talk but also relieves you of the pressure to steer the conversation. Here are some good ones: What’s one unpopular opinion you have? Lessons and blessings from the past year? If you could choose any invention for your house, what would it be? What tradition would you most want to pass on to your children? Enlist someone to take photos of the night. Everyone you love is in one room dressed up, and it is a perfect time to document how big the kids are getting and the individual families. While you are in the frenzy of hosting, you will most likely forget to take photos... and no matter the group, I'm sure you haven’t been able to get together as much as you’d like to. Even if it’s forced, everyone will be glad to have them!     

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