Selling tips for the off season
In a balanced market, Spring is typically when the real estate market starts to pick up, but not everyone is ready to make a move after Old Man Winter moves on. In fact, some situations — like relocating for a job — may find you selling your home during the winter months. But a little frost on the windowpanes doesn’t mean you should be discouraged from selling your home. Coming up, I’ve got some selling tips to help you out.
While selling a home in the so-called offseason may seem daunting, you can increase your chances of success by adjusting your strategy for selling to reflect the time of year.
Stage Your Home When Selling
Staging a home in the winter means doing your best to create a snug and cozy vibe. Winter buyers who come to see what your selling need to see your home’s full potential so they can envision themselves living in the property. For winter selling, this means helping future homeowners to picture themselves curling up in front of the fireplace or enjoying a mug of hot cider. Use throw blankets and pillows on sofas and armchairs to inspire a feeling of comfort
and warmth. Leave a kettle on the stove to spark thoughts of hot cocoa and tea. Set the stage for an idyllic winter season spent toasty and warm while snowflakes swirl gently outside of the window.
Make Lighting a Priority
One of the trickier aspects of selling a home in the winter is dealing with lighting. Because the sun sets earlier and rises later, you’ll have much less natural light to work with during photo ops and showings. To let in as much sun as possible, clean your windows (inside and out) and open your blinds and curtains. Swap out dim bulbs in light fixtures for brighter ones. In the evenings or on gray, cloudy days, use ambient lights to create a cozy atmosphere. Flameless candles, lamps, and track lights are a great way to light up dark corners and hallways without looking too harsh.
Keep your home a Comfortable Temperature
Part of evoking a cozy ambiance while you’re selling is the temperature of your home. It’s going to be hard to give off a cozy vibe if your thermostat is turned down to 60 degrees. Keep your house nice and warm, at least for showings, so potential buyers can focus on your property instead of their chattering teeth. We, as your selling agent partners, will also attempt to have the listing photos and/or filming scheduled in the late morning or early afternoon on a bright day so potential buyers who view your home in the evening can get an idea of what it looks like when the sun’s up.
Winter Selling and Curb Appeal
While it’s true that you won’t have to do as much landscaping if you’re selling in the colder weather, it’s still important to keep your yard neat and tidy. The curb appeal of your winter home has a major impact on a buyer’s first impression of the property you’re, especially when you can’t rely on lush gardens and green grass to set the mood.
Make sure that your property looks well-maintained and inviting before buyers even get to the front door by:
- Using outdoor lighting along paths and entranceways
- Displaying winter planters on your front step
- Cleaning up dead leaves, plants, and flowers
- Putting away seasonal items like decor, furniture, pots, and lawn tools
Seasonal Decor While Selling
Although holiday décor may make those seasons bright for you, not all prospective buyers share your cultural beliefs or decorative tastes. And while you don’t have to forgo decorating altogether when selling your home, you should keep your holiday decorations simple and understated. For example, multicolored lights and mechanical dancing displays can come off as garish and distract potential buyers from your home’s more attractive features. Instead, use white lights and natural decor like greenery to make your home look appropriately festive without being overwhelming. When selling over the holidays, keep your decorations contained to one area of your home, such as the living room, instead of strewing them throughout the house. This will give you a chance to enjoy the season without distracting buyers touring your home. Avoid decorating over anything that a home buyer would want to see. For example, covering your stair railings in tinsel garland may look beautiful, but it will hide a structural and aesthetic aspect of your staircase that house hunters may want to examine. If you do opt for holiday decorations, don’t leave them up for too long.
Be Flexible With Showings
In the process of selling, you already know you need to accommodate showings and open
houses. But for your wintertime selling, you have to be more flexible than during the summer months. A variety of factors can impact when your real estate agent shows your home, from storms and poor driving conditions to less natural light and holiday obligations. This may mean that you need to let potential home buyers reschedule a viewing while you’re selling or book a second visit during more favorable conditions. During this selling process, you can always tell your realtor when your home is closed to showings on special days, but otherwise be as open as possible. Although you’ll benefit from less competition if you’re selling in the “off-season”, there are also fewer buyers looking for homes at this time of year. This means you need to be available to the ones that do come along. If you aren’t flexible when it comes to bad weather or allowing for multiple showings, you risk drawing out your home selling experience.
Keep Up On Seasonal Maintenance
If you live in a colder climate, you know the seasonal tasks you need to take on in order to winterize your home each year.
This includes responsibilities such as:
- Getting your furnace or HVAC system cleaned and inspected
- Using caulk and weather stripping to seal drafts from doors and windows
- Clearing gutters and trimming trees
- Checking the roof for damage
- Booking a chimney inspection
Keeping up on these duties when selling your home means you won’t have to worry about them during showings. It would be embarrassing and inconvenient when you’re selling to have your furnace stop working right before a potential buyer showed up. And, as an added bonus, completing these maintenance tasks will help you to pass a home inspection when you end up getting an offer.
If you’re planning on selling your home in the “off-season” failing to prepare is one of the biggest home selling mistakes you can make. Selling a home during cold weather isn’t impossible, it just takes a little forethought. Focus on making your property feel comfortable and cozy, keep a shovel and rake handy, and be flexible when it comes to showings to turn your listing into someone else’s new home. The Old Mill Group Real Estate is here to help you with selling your home in the winter months.
What Are The Best Home Selling Tips for Winter?
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