When the snow is swirling and would-be buyers are scarce, you need to take extra steps to get your home sold. So pour a cup of tea, put another log on the fire, and curl up with these suggestions on how to make your home more attractive and possibly sell during the holiday season or in the upcoming Michigan winter.

12 Tips for Selling Your Home During Holidays and Beyond.

1. Keep snow and ice at bay. Only serious buyers venture out during winter. If the buyer cannot get in easily, the house will not sell. That means keeping walkways and driveways free of the frozen stuff. Just like trimming the lawn in the summer, you want to make the home look well maintained. It can pay in terms of both both getting buyers in the door and protecting yourself to hire a service to regularly salts or shovel the driveway and sidewalks. (don't forget to keep the porch light on after dark and the lock box free from ice and snow - you want buyers in your home)

2. Warm it up. If you are showing your home to it's best advantage during the winter, think warm, cozy, and homey. Keep the thermostat at 70 degrees during the daylight hours. If your home is vacant, perhaps someone can come over before a showing and increase the temperature.

3. Take advantage of natural light. Encourage showing during the high-daylight hours. Make the most of the light you do have. Have the curtains and blinds cleaned and open them as wide as possible during daytime showings. Clean all the lamps and built-in fixtures, and replace the bulbs with the highest wattage that they will safely accommodate. Before you show the house, turn on all the lights. Concerned about energy use, change bulbs to economical Compact Florescent Bulbs. Please try these out before replacing bulbs.

4. Get Your windows washed. You have 90 seconds to get a buyers attention when they walk into your home. Windows are one thing that many sellers do not even consider. In winter, that strong southern light can reveal grime and make it look like the home has not been well maintained.

5. Play music softly in the background. To create a little atmosphere, tune the radio to the local Classical or Holiday station. Turn it down so that you just hear it quietly in the background. You have to appeal to all the buyer's senses.

6. Make it comfortable and cozy. Set the scene and help the buyers see themselves living happily in this house. Consider things such as putting a warm throw on the sofa or folding back the thick comforter on the bed. Spending an hour or two with a home staging professional may be a worthwhile investment. They are specially trained to help catch the buyer's eye! Call for a list of home staging professionals.

7. Emphasize your homes winter positives. Is your home on a bus route or some other vital service that means it is plowed or de-iced regularly in bad weather? Be sure to mention that to the buyers. Perhaps, your home is located near winter activity areas for skiing, snow mobiling, or tobogganing. Mentioning these areas in your flyers might lead to a sale.

8. Set up lighting timers. You want your home to look warm and welcoming whenever prospective buyers drive past. Nevertheless, you are not home all the time, so put indoor and outdoor lights on timers or sensors. Don't forget to decorate the For Sale sign. Set the mood for a sale.

9. Make your home festive. Even if you are not actually going to be present, greet your buyers as if they were going to be guests at a party. Set up the dinner table with the good china and silver. Have a plate of cookies for your guests, some warm cider, or other non- alcoholic beverage helps to make the buyer more comfortable in their new home. Remember, first impressions are so powerful. If it looks like you're expecting me and greeting me as company, don't you think that would have a powerful impact?

10. Give your home a nice aroma. We prefer Chocolate Chip cookies; just about, everybody likes that smell. Other popular scents: cinnamon rolls, freshly baked bread, apple pie, apple cider or anything with vanilla, and cinnamon

11. Protect your investment. Most sellers ask buyers to remove shoes or slip on paper "booties" over their footwear before touring the house. Showing you take care of your home shows pride of ownership and meticulousness that resonates with most buyers. Don't forget to remove all valuables or make them difficult to find. You don't want someone, or his or her child, accidentally walking away with a valuable possession.

12. Use the holiday season to your advantage. Thanksgiving, through January are traditional holiday seasons for most families. Now is the time to show off your home's best features with simple decorations in each room. Don't forget to decorate around your front door. When the holidays are over (and the Christmas and Hanukkah stuff should come down), you can still use winter wreaths and dried arrangements around the door to give interest. Anything seasonally appropriate but not too elaborate, you want the buyer's to purchase your home, not your crafts.

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