Just because Old Man Winter is here doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to sell your home. While spring and summer tend to be the busiest seasons in the real estate market, you can still achieve your home-selling goals in winter. It helps to understand what makes the winter market different and how you can best attract buyers during these cold, dark months. That’s why we’ve compiled these tips to help you ace your winter home sale.
Know your buyers
Anyone willing to trudge out in cold, dark weather to look at a home for sale means business. While you’re likely to see fewer buyers in winter, the ones who are out shopping are serious about purchasing a home. These could be people who are relocating for work or who want to be closer to family and friends. Knowing who your potential buyers could be will help you market your home to them more effectively. You may get fewer offers, but the ones you do receive will be serious.
Clean and de-clutter
Raise your hand if you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution to clean and declutter your house. This is the time of year when people are ready for a fresh start. Show them that they can easily make that fresh start in your home by thoroughly cleaning and de-cluttering. Go through all your belongings and decide what to keep and what to donate, sell, or throw away. Then go room to room and deep clean everything from the ceilings and floors to the cabinets and closets. Remember, people viewing your home will be opening every door and drawer, so details are important.
Make it cozy
No matter what part of the country you live in, winter brings with it a certain coziness that you should capitalize on as a home seller. Make your house as warm and welcoming as possible. First, remove any personal items from your home such as family photos. You want buyers to be able to imagine themselves living in the space. Next, fix any items that require repairs such as leaky faucets or jammed windows. Be sure all your lights are in working order and keep them all on for showings. Open curtains and blinds to let in natural light. Light a scented candle or two or diffuse essential oil to make your home smell inviting. Finally, give each room a purpose. If you’ve got a spare room you can stage it as a guest bedroom, home office, or even a kids’ playroom.
Don’t forget the outside
Just because our gardens are dormant for winter doesn’t mean you can skip the outside of your home when you’re selling. Curb appeal is still vitally important. Boost your home’s appeal by cleaning up your landscape and trimming trees and bushes. Keep walkways and patios clean and freshen up your front porch by painting your door and adding a new mailbox or lighting fixture. Powerwash outdoor surfaces such as decks and siding and clean your windows.
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