Real Realty

With a little planning and budgeting, your dream destination is closer than you think

Is your family longing for some time away? A holiday is the perfect opportunity for y'all to take a break from work and school, get away from it all and spend quality time together. Whether your family craves action and adventure or is more laid back, it's important to plan ahead to make the most of the experience.

Planning the 'where' and "when' of your next getaway is probably the best part, but how you're going to pay for it's also crucial. After all, you don't want to go into debt for a holiday. We've put together 5 practical tips on how to plan and save for your dream family holiday.

Choose a destination in advance
Deciding on a destination and committing to a specific time frame makes your savings goal more tangible. The internet has revolutionised the way people plan their trips, and a little online research will give you a good idea of how much you need to set aside for a stress-free holiday.

Having trouble deciding on a destination? In reality, some destinations are more expensive than others. So set your maximum budget first:

How much you want to spend at most
How long you want to stay
Once you know how much you want to spend, you can narrow down the list of destinations to those that are within your budget.

Consider the costs
Flights and accommodation are the biggest expenses, but you also need to think about other things, such as:

Meals
Excursions
Shopping
Transport/car hire
Souvenirs/Gifts

By planning for these expenses, you can avoid unexpected surprises. It's also a good idea to budget for extras that come up during your trip, such as eating out more often than you'd originally planned.

Work out how much you need to set aside each month
Once you've worked out how much you need to save, you need to calculate how much you need to set aside each month and how long it'll take you to save the full amount. Our free online savings calculator will help you calculate this monthly amount.

Use a budget planner
When you break out the spreadsheet for budgeting, it can get more complicated to keep track of your income, expenses and financial goals. An accessible, user-friendly budget planner can make all the difference in managing your money.

22Seven is a free budgeting app you can download to keep track of how you spend your money. You can also set specific goals you want to save for, like a family trip. Go to the 22Seven app here. Use our online budget calculator to get an insight into the breakdown and earn great rewards in the process!

Holidays are definitely more relaxing when you don't have to worry about how much debt you're accumulating in your beach chair.

Now that we are soon approaching the holiday season, one of the most frequently asked questions about selling a home is, "Should I sell my home during the vacations?" Depending on who you talk to about this topic, you will hear different opinions.

Some will say that you should definitely not sell your home over the holidays and should wait until after the new year. Others will say that you should offer your home over the holidays.

Before we get into the top 10 reasons to sell your home over the holidays, I always want sellers to realise that in most cases, spring is the best time to sell your home. That does not mean that offering your home during the holiday season is a waste of time, because there are some great reasons and benefits.

Below you will learn what are the 10 best reasons to sell your home during the vacations. Homeowners who are faced with the decision of whether to list their home during the holiday season or wait and prepare for the spring real estate market should consider these 10 reasons before making a decision.

Motivated buyers buy year-round
The holiday season is filled with Christmas parties, family gatherings, gift shopping and a host of other time-consuming tasks. The holiday season is often the reason many buyers abandon their home search because they are too busy with other things.

These types of buyers are the same type of people who usually go to viewings. Yes, I am talking about your nosy neighbours or window shoppers who have no intention of buying your home.

One of the most important reasons to sell your home during the holidays is that the quality of potential buyers of your home improves significantly. Motivated buyers are looking for a home all year long, even during the holiday season. These serious buyers want to take advantage of lower interest rates instead of waiting and potentially being affected by an interest rate increase.

These are the kind of buyers you want when you tour your home, plain and simple!

Buyers have more time to search for and buy homes
It's common for people to have more time off from work during the holiday season. This means that potential buyers have more time to search and shop for properties.

The number of people searching my website for homes for sale in Rochester NY increases exponentially during the holiday season. Imagine a motivated buyer getting together with their family at Thanksgiving and showing their loved ones the homes they are interested in to get their feedback and opinions, because that is actually happening. The Internet has made searching for real estate incredibly easy.

Not only do buyers spend more time searching for properties online during the holidays, but they also have more time to look at properties in person because they have more time off from work. The extra time motivated buyers have to search for properties is another great reason to list your home during the holidays.

Fewer competitors during the holidays
Fewer competitors is a great reason to list your home during the holiday season!
Fewer competitors is a great reason to list your home during the holidays!

One of the main reasons why selling a home during the fall or winter months can be beneficial is that there are fewer competitors. This means that many of your neighbours will wait to sell their home until after the holidays, or perhaps even until spring. It's also not uncommon for some homeowners to ask to take their home off the market during the holidays.

Having fewer homes for sale is a good reason why you should list your home during the holiday season. This is especially true if your home resembles many homes in your neighbourhood.

For example, if your home is a traditional 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath colonial and many of the homes in your neighbourhood also look like that, it's a good idea to list your home during the holiday season. On the other hand, if you are selling a luxury home that is extremely unique and rare in your area, the competition is probably not high at any time of the year and it might be the best decision to wait until after the holidays.

Homes sell better during the holidays
An excellent tip for preparing for viewings is to make sure your home is clean, neat and organised. If you are having family over for the holidays, chances are you will be cleaning and organising every inch of your home.

The holiday season is also a popular time for homeowners to bring out their inner cooking and baking skills. During the holidays, cookies, pastries and dinners are baked, which means your home will smell wonderful during showings. The smell test is not to be ignored when selling a home, as foul odours are one of the most common ways to scare away a potential buyer.

Buyers are emotional during the holidays
The holidays are filled with love, joy, happiness, peace and a host of other emotions. Another good reason to sell your home during the holidays is to