Celebrate New Year in grand style!

- 2016 Edmonton International New Year’s Eve Gala

- New Year's Eve

- New Year's Eve Downtown

- World Waterpark's New Year's Eve Beach Ball

- Strathcona County New Year's Festival

As the holidays are bursting of school concerts, parties, visits to Santa and shopping trips to the mall, it is also festive. However, if your home is on the market this time of the year you can know the spirited buyers out there are serious. Seeing your home decked out for the holidays just might make them want to ring in the New Year there as their own home. 

Try these tips to get buyers in the buying spirit:

Pure and Simple.  Adding reindeer and snowmen figurines to an already cluttered home, will not transform it to inviting.  Before you start to add festive cheer, be sure to stage and clean your home first.

A Few of My Favorite Things. The pillars of home-staging might tempt you to avoid the adornment, but a few hints of the holidays like a fresh evergreen wreath, a vase filled with ornaments and pinecones and a candy cane or cinnamon scent diffused through the home can create a warm and festive feeling. Don’t forget to add carols playing softly in the background.

Silent Night.  Remember more is not always merrier when it comes to Christmas lights. Tone down any over the top displays and instead use simple string lighting or a few sparkling LED spotlights to draw attention to your home’s landscaping or architecture.

Happy Holidays. Opt for neutral winter and holiday decorations rather than items with religious themes.  You want to attract any type of buyer and not risk causing offence.

Oh Christmas Tree. A well-decorated tree can help you show off your home, but make sure it doesn’t overwhelm by taking up too much floor space. Resist the urge to hang the homemade kid’s ornaments and everything you own on the tree.  Have a color-coordinated theme such as blue and silver or red and gold.

Deck the Halls. Before you start untangling your tinsel, make sure your holiday collection matches your current decor. If your living room is platinum or blue, skip the clashing red and opt for white and silver candles, wreaths or snowflakes. If you’ve got an earthy color scheme, accent with rich tones and natural accents like cranberries and holly, forest greens and gold ribbons and bows.

Comfort and Joy. A few decorations can stir the holiday spirit, but don’t go overboard.  Adornments that are too large, crowded or bright can distract buyers from the home itself. The accents should make the buyers want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and stay awhile, not feel like they are looking at a store display.

Limit yourself to a few splashes of the season’s spirit and keep the rest packed away for now.  If you start to feel nostalgic for all your personal holiday items collected over the years, just remember with a little luck, next year you will be decorating your new home any way you please!

- Festival of Light - Saturday, December 5 to Monday, December 14

- Candy Cane Lane - Friday, December 11 to Sunday, January 3, 2016

- Southeast Winter Fun Festival - Saturday, December 12

- Hay Rides + Santa Photos - Saturday, December 12 & Saturday, December 19

- Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree - Thursday, December 17 - Sunday, December 20

- Miracle on 34th Street Food Bank Fundraiser - Wednesday, December 23

Edmonton, December 2, 2015: Edmonton’s housing market saw strong sales numbers in November. November’s all residential reported sales were down only 2.9% year-over-year (YoY), a notable improvement compared to October 2015 numbers which saw a 15% drop compared to October 2014. The average residential sales price in November for the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) dipped slightly by 3.1% YoY, however average year-to-date prices in November 2015 remain strong year-to-date (YTD) and are up 1.5% compared to November 2014 YTD.

“The warm fall weather we saw in November, coupled with healthy inventory numbers, were key factors in keeping buyers active in the market,” explains Geneva Tetreault, Chair of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. “During a time of year where we generally see the market slow down, consumers demonstrated confidence in the Edmonton and Area market.”

Average days on market for single family homes stayed virtually stagnant at 56 days, the same as October and up only one day (55) from November 2014. Condominiums averaged 62 days on market while duplex/rowhouses took an average of 57 days to sell, an increase YoY of 7 and 10 days respectively.

A single family home in the Edmonton CMA sold for an average of $432,862; down 1.4% from October and down 2.62% YoY. Duplex/rowhouses also dropped to an average of $339,454 – down 5.5% from the previous month and down 3.5% from November 2014. However, the average price for condominiums ($253,618) was up 3.8% over last month. All residential properties average price sat at $369,559, down a modest 0.59% from October.

All residential active inventory remains strong with 6,043 residential properties available in the Edmonton CMA at the end of November, down from October by 9% but still up over last November by 55%.

“While we continue to see strong inventory numbers, there are noticeably fewer listings coming onto the market in the fall, compared to our peak in the spring when we had more than 7,300 residential properties available,” said Tetreault. “We expect to see the average price to continue to adjust itself due to the slower winter sales season and higher inventory levels, as we approach 2016.”