Selling your home in the winter can be a little tricky. It’s good for sellers, since there are fewer homes on the market, but it’s not the most popular season to sell. Here are some tips to make your house more appealing to buyers in the winter:
1. Make your home inviting. Don’t make your potential buyers walk through snow or ice. Make sure your walkways, entryways and driveways are shoveled. Keep more lights on during the day and the evening, and keep the house warm to show potential buyers how inviting the house is. Highlight landscape features you want to show off with outdoor lights.
2. Keep holiday decorations simple. While the kids may want to see dozens of strings of Christmas lights, you want to depersonalize your home as much as you can. Your home can be festive, but it doesn’t have to detract from the main event: the house that you’re showing. Take the decorations down promptly after the holidays.
3. Show people how your home looks in other seasons by using photos of your home in the spring and summer in your listing. If you have photos of your house in other seasons, put them on display for showings.
4. Highlight home features that could be useful in winter, including your new programmable thermostat, updated weatherproofing, recently serviced furnace, and your freshly cleaned fireplace and chimney.
5. Fill your home with warm, seasonal smells – freshly baked bread or cookies, cinnamon-scented pinecones or a real Christmas tree.
6. Be patient. Winter is a tricky time to sell, but your time will come.
7. Choose the right Realtor®. By working with someone experienced in year-round home sales, your home will have the best chance of selling during the winter.