Tips For Selling Your House In The Winter

Many people believe that selling your house in the winter isn’t a good idea.  While it is true that a flurry of action happens when the weather starts improving and during the springtime months;  it’s not to say that selling in the winter is a bad idea.

Why is that?  The most obvious reason being that why people move in the winter is the same as why they move in the spring or summer (ie; new job, desire or need to up-size, growing family etc.) During the winter months there tends to be less competition on the market (less listings), thus making this time of year not bad to sell.

Getting your house ready for the winter market is not that different from the process during the nicer months.  Regardless of time of the time of year, you need to ensure that your house is welcoming both inside and outside.

Here are my tips for getting your house ready to sell in the winter.  If you would like any further thoughts or help, please don’t hesitate to let me know.  My team and I are always happy to help!

 

Tips For Selling Your House In The Winter

1.  You can’t paint the outside but your certainly can clean!  Make sure the windows have been cleaned and give the house a quick wash with warm soapy water.  Remember that winter lighting has the ability to make things look dirtier.

2.  Tend to the trees.  During the winter months we tend to forget about gardening but it is essential to make sure that any branches that are hanging low (and thus might be walked into!) are free of snow or even pruned back if necessary.

3. Shovel and de-ice.  This is not an option, the last thing you want happening is a potential buyer slipping on ice on the way into the house!

4.  Make the doorway look welcoming.  Now is the time to add a wreath to the front door and put a decorative urn filled with festive greenery on the front porch.

5. Make sure the heating is set property, meaning make sure your house is warm.  Potential buyers will be most certainly turned off if they take off their coats and are cold or worse yet can see their breath while viewing your house!  This is especially true for houses that are unoccupied.

6.  Put out protective mats at the front door for snowy boots.

7.  If you have a fire place, use it!  Make sure your electric or gas fireplace is turned on or if its wood burning make sure to light it.  Definitely a great way to make a house feel warm and cozy.

8.  Lighting is key.  Winter is definitely darker and it’s time to fight the gloom, turn on the lights, open the windows and shutters and make sure that the outside is well lit.

9. Show off those photos of your house in the summer.  Putting out a photo book with pictures of the garden and the house during the better months is a great idea.

10. Keep the yard and house free of clutter and debris.  Now (and this applies to selling your house at any time of year) is the time to purge and organize.  Potential buyers want to be able to see where their stuff can fit, not where yours does!

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