With 2018 literally around the corner and a fresh set of New Year's resolutions, if your house is on the market, selling is probably number one on your to-do list. Now that the holiday season is over, it's time to take a step back and look at how you are "selling" your house while you settle in for winter months ahead.

Pitfalls can happen to home sellers during the beginning of the year, and it's important to learn how to overcome them. January may not be the peak selling month for real estate, but your house doesn't have to be doomed to sit on the market. Homes do sell in January.

Listen to an expert. There are many ways to induce buyers, but you may have to step up the marketing of your house. It is important to listen to the advice from your Realtor® to come up with  ways to get the word out to more potential buyers. Your Realtor® is an expert in selling and will be able to offer you plenty of tips to make your house more marketable. Also, don't forget to tell everyone you know that your house is on the market. You never know who your friends and acquaintances might pass this information along to.

The holidays are over, and it's time to move on. If your children insist that the new Lego set that Santa left must be spread throughout the house, you'll have to convince them otherwise. Maybe you have some poinsettias that have seen better days, or all the boxes from your new surround-sound audio system are still cluttering the living room. After the holiday season, it's time to clean up and clean out. All those new presents and toys must be stored in a proper place. Your house must look like new. Holiday decorations need to come down both inside and out. Tasteful winter decorations may be used such as wreaths, but the giant reindeer sitting in your front yard needs to go. You might consider renting a short-term storage unit for items you plan to move to your new home to help eliminate clutter.

During the winter months, it is important to show some color, and let in as much natural light as possible. Use indoor plants to show off some color. Turn on the lights when showing. Both of these tactics will brighten up your house to sell.

Finally, if you must sell now, being flexible on your price may be a useful selling tip. After the holiday season, overspending may cause some buyers to search for lower prices. A way to overcome this problem is to offer incentives such as contributions to the down payment or closing costs or bringing down the interest rate of the mortgage. Pricing correctly and negotiating well are important tools that your Realtor® can help you with.

With help from your agent and a little creativity on your part, you'll be able to achieve your top New Year's resolution: selling your home quickly and for the best possible price and terms.