Home buying doesn’t stop during the holidays, however, it can get slightly more complicated. At this time of year, you have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s to think about. If you’re in the process of buying a home, here are a few MA holiday home buying tips to keep in mind.

Home Showings During the Holidays

For some, the holidays are a great time to view homes due to the extra days off from work. However, it’s not a great time for everyone. Sellers may have a difficult time confirming showings if they have guests staying over or holiday gatherings planned. It’s best to check in with real estate agents and sellers ahead of time to determine availability for showings before you make your own holiday plans.

Home Closings During or After the Holidays

Inspection appointments may be difficult to get at this time of year. Inspections are performed by individual inspectors, many of which may be taking  time off to be with their family members. Before entering an inspection deadline into an offer, make some calls to your preferred inspection companies. Ask about the availability of appointments. Most will let you lock in a tentative date and time, which may be a good idea. You can always cancel if your offer does not get accepted.

Mortgage deadlines are another important consideration. Before entering mortgage commitment and closing dates into offers or  purchase and sales contracts, check with your lender on how much time they may need to process loans during this time of year. Time frames may be extended due to both legal holidays staff vacation days. Add some extra time to the estimates for potential delays.

More MA Holiday Home Buying Tips

The good thing about buying and selling during the holidays is that both parties are typically motivated to do so. Scheduling can be tricky given everyone’s holiday plans, so advanced notice is extremely important and appreciated. With everyone interested in moving things along as quickly as possible, you might get overly optimistic about how quickly you can close. It’s important to check with inspectors, lenders, and other parties involved to ensure that your deadlines are realistic. This will reduce the chances of missing a deadline or needing to request an extension.

Understanding the challenges of buying a home during the holidays will help you better manage the process and successfully close on your home without unexpected delays. Proper planning will also allow you to enjoy the holidays more while still planning for your big closing day.