As the cold weather and snow settle in some sections of the country, it might create a challenging scene for a lot of home sellers. Winter is traditionally one of the harder times of year to sell a house.
Below are some basic but important tips for selling your home in the winter.
Increase The Attractiveness Of Your Home
The first impression is important when attempting to sell a house. Ensure your home has incredible winter curb appeal when a home buyer visits. The buyer should feel comfortable and experience an impression of a good appearance, which is evident as soon as they arrive at your home and look at it from the street.
You can lighten up your home by setting gazing globes, orbs, or another colorful winter outdoor decor in and around gardens. You should make sure the leaves are raked, the garden is mowed and bushes pruned, especially the ones that may contain dead flowers.
If there is snow or ice on the ground where you are, be sure to keep the driveway and sidewalk clear. The last thing you want is for a buyer to slip and fall before they even get a chance to look at your home.
Include A Festive Touch
Make your home as welcoming as possible. There is no reason for not having a holiday embellishment: a lot of home buyers will like this festive feeling. Try not to go overboard though. An elegantly decorated tree and pine or cedar-scented candle or a reed diffuser could be enough. Make sure to remove excess furniture so the rooms don't look excessively cramped.
Prepare For The Cold Weather
When you are selling your home during the winter, home buyers will want to be sure your HVAC system was well maintained and want to know that the windows in your home are well insulated. It's vital to change the air filters and weather-strip the windows and doors if you don't want the home buyers to be uncomfortable while they view your home.
Do not be afraid to turn your heat up too. Making sure home buyers are comfortable while they go through your home is key.
You may want to consider having your chimney thoroughly cleaned and checked if you have a fireplace. In case you want to do it all, you can make windows and doors more energy-efficient or replace your entire HVAC system if you have had it for quite a while.
Showoff Rooms That Are Attractive To Buyers In The Winter
Game rooms, exercise rooms, heated garage/workshops, etc. will be particularly welcome in an area with cold weather. Remove all non-contiguous items to clarify the purpose of the room, and ensure your real estate agent talks about the rooms while presenting the house to potential buyers.
Ensure The Interior Is Warm And Welcoming
The greatest positive psychological impact can be accomplished if the interior of your home is warm, inviting, and focused, especially when it's cold and gloomy outside. To accomplish this effect without spending a lot of money, you can start by decluttering the house. Ensure that anything that needs to be fixed or any home renovations are completed in advance. Serve baked cookies or brownies to make the buyer feel right at home.
Display Your Home From Its Most Beautiful Side
If you are concerned that home buyers will not be able to envision your home in a different season, you can post a photo of your home during the summer. This enables home buyers to picture how the property looks throughout the year. This could really help the home buyer envision your house, even when the weather is gloomy outside.
Winter Home Maintenance
Ensure all repairs have been done before selling your home. Make sure gutters are clear and secured, the same goes for all exterior doors and windows. Make sure windows and doors are in perfect working condition, well adjusted, and properly sealed to keep winter elements from getting in.
Remove Personal Items
Move personal items, such as family photos and kids' toys, into storage. When buyers walk around your home, they should feel like they are taking possession of the place. If your personal belongings are distributed in each room, it will detract from that feeling. Truth be told, they may feel like they are invading your privacy.
Provide Detailed And Specific Information
Home buyers will ask a ton of questions when they visit your home. So, you must be ready to answer everyone. Since you will not be at the showing, your real estate agent will be able to help you get that information to the buyers. If you are including other items with the sale of your home, be sure to inform the buyers about the value of those items.
Summing Up Tips For Selling Your Home In The Winter
It might be more difficult to sell your home in the winter real estate market, but there are also fewer houses competing for home buyers. That is why it is so important that your home stands out from the competition.
Additional Winter Home Selling Resources:
Why Curb Appeal Is Important In The Winter
Wait Until Spring Or Sell In The Winter? via Amanda Davidson
Top Benefits Of Selling Your Home In The Winter via Joe Boylan
Best Winter Real Estate Articles For Buyers and Sellers
About the author: This article on Tips For Selling A Home In The Winter was written by Luke Skar of MadisonMortgageGuys.com. As the Social Media Strategist, his role is to provide original content for all of their social media profiles as well as generating new leads from his website.
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