The holidays can be a tricky time to show a house, to say the least. "You have family coming in, holiday traditions, the weather gets messy," says Keller Williams Realtor Lu Parsons, who has been a real estate broker for more than 25 years. On the other hand, buyers who are looking this time of year are very motivated, usually dealing with job transfers from out-of-state or leases ending in January.

Parsons offers tips on how to attract those determined house hunters over the holidays while keeping your sanity.

First, do you recommend having your house on the market during this time?
If your house isn't already on the market, whether it's wise to jump in now is questionable. For the people who already have their house on the market, I do recommend keeping it on.

Robert RameyRealtor Lu Parsons.
There may be others who decide to take it off due to extended company coming in from overseas or planned surgery, so there will be fewer options to choose from for those who need a house now. In this market, you need to be flexible.

What looks attractive for holidays?
Look at your holiday decorations and be moderate. This may not be the year to take out the 150 piece Dickens village or electric train set that takes over the family room. You may want a smaller tree rather than the 10 foot diameter tree with gifts spilling across the floor. You want people to see space.

Sometimes people go overboard with the scented candles. Instead of five scented candles in every room, maybe a few on the mantel or warm cider and cinnamon warming on the stove to get that nice smell without being overwhelming.

It is a hospitality time of year, so maybe keep a roll of slice and bake cookies in the fridge so if people are coming to look at the house, you can bake a few cookies and put them on a plate with few holidays napkins and a half gallon of cider.

Spiff up the bathrooms with a holiday towel and maybe put a few poinsettias in strategic places like on the dining room table or in front of the fireplace.

Ask yourself what are a few touches that make the room comfortable without screaming holidays? Something may be cute but does it make sense to unpack it this year?

What are some "don'ts"?
Don't display Christmas cards, or put just a few up. Inevitably, you walk into the room and cards fly off tables or off the door hangers.

Be diplomatic about the holiday artwork - tell your child their picture is very nice and suggest mailing it off to Grandma. Save the stockings for Christmas Eve. Most of all, not being cluttered is just really important.

What about winter weather?
It's important to think about shoveling walks, steps and driveways. There's nothing like the challenge of getting out of a car in a narrow driveway with snow up to your knees.

A rubber tray or special rug with a chair nearby for people to put their wet boots is always helpful.

Remember, people are going to open closets and you don't want a front closet jammed with heavy winter coats, boots and mittens that cascade down on people.

What else helps when you show a house in this season?
Put houseguests on alert that you may have to go to mall for a couple hours if someone wants a showing, and keep a list of last-minute activities to do with the kids if they are out of school. Decide at which point you are going to draw the line - no showings on Christmas Eve or Day, for instance.

How many showings do you expect this time of year?
Up to Thanksgiving you can figure on having a couple of showings a week; after that, it's probably going to drop to maybe one a week. Keep in mind you always have the option of saying the timing for a particular showing just doesn't work and offering another timeframe.

Laura Blodgett is a freelance writer. She'll write about "living well" in future Unwind special sections.