Are you listing your property for sale this winter? Then you may have heard it can be a more difficult time to sell, and while this can sometimes be true with fewer house-hunters out and about at open homes, there are also several advantages to selling in winter.
One of the biggest advantages your property will have is a lack of competition from other similar properties on the market compared with busier selling periods like spring. With this in mind, it’s still important to make sure your property is the best presented one for those circling which properties to brave the cold and visit during the cooler seasons.
Here we take a look at the top five ways to help your home sell in winter.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE SEASON
Winter can be a wonderful time to showcase some of the best features in your home. If you’re lucky enough to have fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, or centralised heating make sure these features are on full display during open homes.
Fireplaces should be clean, stocked with wood and even lit before an inspection and heating should be turned on ahead of time so your home is warm before visitors arrive.
CREATE A COSY SPACE
There are lots of personal touches which can be added to an open home during the winter months that will bring a real sense of warmth and cosiness to your property.
Why not bake before an inspection? This not only warms the kitchen area up, but fills the home with an inviting scent, and the goods can be left invitingly on the kitchen bench during the inspection. Or ask your agent if they can supply mugs of hot chocolate to visitors as they make their way through the home. Little touches like these don’t only make your open inspection memorable but allows buyers to really get a sense of what it would be like to make themselves at home in your property.
PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM THE ELEMENTS
If your open home is scheduled during a rainy day, make sure people have a place to wipe their feet before entering your home, and have somewhere to stow umbrellas and wet coats so that muddy footprints and drips are kept out of your property.
DE-CLUTTER AND KEEP TIDY
De-cluttering and tidying are important steps to take no matter when you list your home, but especially in winter when some of our outdoor furniture may find itself in storage, or the home is looking a little more untidy than usual before the usual spring clean has started.
Preparing for an open home is good time to make sure both indoors and outdoors is presented well from a buyer’s perspective, which may mean the outdoor table setting and umbrella needs to come out, the back patio swept and the pool cleaned – even if these are typically jobs usually left to the warmer months.
Don’t assume buyers will overlook clutter just because of the cool weather.
MAKE SURE HOME IS CLEAR AND AIRY
If your property has been shut up during the day to fend off the cold, remember to open windows and let in the fresh air before an inspection.
You want to ensure the property doesn’t smell stale or musty, so pick a time before inspections to open windows and turn on ceiling fans to allow some fresh air in. Leave enough time to warm things up again before the open house.
These are just a few of the best ways to make your home stand out during winter, but don’t stop here. Make sure there are pillows and throws adorning couches and window seats, and light candles in certain rooms to create ambience. Winter is one of the seasons that allows us to showcase our properties in a cosy and inviting light, so why not make the most of it?