The music is starting to change in the stores and I’ve noticed lots of green, red and glitz showing up everywhere I look. The holidays are here.

I recently had a conversation with an agent about a frustrated seller that was going crazy keeping the house in showing condition and upset about not being able to decorate for the holidays. The regular thought process is to take the house off the market during the holidays and put it back on in early spring. My advice this year? Let them decorate and leave it on the market!

You see, this fall/winter season is proving to be much different than previous years. In most areas, the inventory is incredibly low and the interest rates are still low. Normally around the holidays, we’ll see a slow down in the ‘deal’ buyers and only see the buyers that absolutely HAVE to buy a home. This year, however, more buyers seem to be out looking at homes and ready to make a purchase. There’s a fear of higher interest rates and higher home prices after the beginning of 2014.

So, if you’re a winter seller and your home is still on the market, I’d like to offer a couple of quick tips to make you more comfortable selling during the holidays. First, for those ‘over the top’ decorators, make sure you take a step back this year and consider only putting up half of your decorations. Those decorations should be tasteful and fit in the space. You don’t want the buyer to think your home is too small for them to enjoy during the holidays. Buyers don’t mind a little decor, some even prefer it. Also, it’s better to stow away the wrapped presents. No matter how safe the area, crime is high during the holidays. There is no need to show off to strangers walking through your house. Having company? Call your agent to request the home not be shown while they’re around. And last but not least, lights are fine, but enough lights to land a plane—-too much. If you can’t resist the temptation to be creative, put some lights around your real estate sign.

Relax, enjoy your friends and family.