14 Tips to Sell Your Home in winter

We all love soaking in winter’s sun, enjoying the cup of hot coffee with our love ones or cuddling with our kids or significant other.  Despite the so much charm of winters, this beautiful season can be the trickiest time of year for home sellers. Traditionally, homes don’t sell well in winters. It is not ideal to put your home on market unless you live in a perpetually sunny clime. Cold and dark weather discourages the buyers and fail to show the true image of home. Moreover, some people tend to hibernate in winters. If you’re one of these types of people we are here to help you. With Schoen Homes buyers don’t need to leave their homes as often. We cater most of your selling matters. Just keep these simple selling tips in mind when showing your home in winters.

1. Exterior of House must be Lean and Free of Snow and Ice: When buyers come to tour house, outside of home is first thing they would notice. Driveways, sideways and doorways should be clear of snow and ice. Make a clean path and give them a warm welcome. Get rid of icicles as many as you can in order to avoid any falling snow or ice. In addition to that don’t forget to put sown lots of salt to avoid any potential falls. Winters can generate lots of grime when there is no snow. Make sure that the exterior of your home should be clean as much as possible, especially as the snow melts.
2. Light the fireplace and crank up the heat: On extremely cold days give warm welcome to buyers. It is important because you’re selling the buyers the experience of living in this home. The warmth and comfort will be the first thing they notice. Moreover, lighting the fireplace will give your home warm and cozy feel and also create a look that will appeal to potential buyers on cold winter days. Give them a feel of happy living so they can imagine themselves cuddling up with their own families in your space.
3. Price the home right: Many sellers hesitate to sell in winters as it is often believe that house will sell for less in winter market. I don’t believe this much. The only thing sellers need to remember is that winter is a season that you can use in your favors. The competition in winter market is less than other times of year and people always looking for a place to move. Make odds in your favor! Less competition means you’ll get more offers on your property. Right pricing will eventually lead you to the great deal. You may earn good profit on your home as well. Though moving in winters is not very pleasant but by the time of closing, 30, 60 or 90 days later the winter may be over.
4. Show your house in day time: If possible always select a day time for home showing. Day time is particularly beneficial for home selling as it showcase how bright and open home feels. This is especially necessary in darker winter months. Night time will dull your house and buyer may not get the true feel of your home. In winters, even when you are showing home in day time make sure to turn on all interior and exterior lights. Bright and lighted home will bring more warmth to your space.
5. Marketing materials: You must know some of the marketing strategies to sell better. Take some good and high quality picture with good angles of your home in the summers to show potential buyers. Show off beautiful flower garden, pool and how your house looks amazing with leaves on the trees. It is difficult to imagine beauty of summer and spring in the dead of winters. By showing beautiful pictures they’ll easily visualize themselves in your home. So make sure to get some great pictures which leave nothing up to the imagination.
6. Make everything Sparkle: Neat and clean home holds equal importance in summers and winters. Wash the windows to enhance the precious daylight hours. Clean out ceiling fan blades, cobwebs and dusty furniture and light fixtures. Pay attention to little things as well. If necessary bleach dingy grout and recaulk tubs, showers and sinks. Clean out the refrigerator, polish chrome faucets and mirrors. Vacuum daily if you have plush carpeting, wash the floors, empty trash and recycle bins every day.
7. Spend time on basic home maintenance: A drafty window is most noticeable on a cold day, check window seals and doors for draft pay extra attention to weather seal and insulate around windows and doors. Before putting your house in the market maintain furnace or boiler. Buyers will make sure that systems are in good shape or working properly especially on a cold day. Swap out the HVAC filter to reduce fall allergens or any odors in the house. Also check for the web spiders.
8. Create a Mood: Small changes or additions plays vital role in creating a mood. You may want rooms to appear especially warm, cozy and inviting for showing. Do these simple things to add a charm. Place two champagne glasses near a champagne bucket on the coffee table to make your living room romantic. Toss Afghans or throws across the arms of your sofa to give stylish look. You can also dress your dining room. To give home like feeling set a breakfast tray in bedroom containing a coffee cup or saucer, napkin and reading material. Hang plush robes on the bathroom door, place washcloths and towels in baskets to turn simple bath into spa. You can also arrange group of soaps, lotions and shampoo. Even in winters you can evoke the sense of summer by placing vases filled with flowers around the house.
9. Ease up on the scents: Not all buyers are same! Some may like scents or deodorizers but others may allergic, so don’t spray the air or plug in air fresheners. Similarly avoid spray perfume or burn candles in the bathroom. If you’re going to make bake cookies or simmer spices put out munchies so that potential buyers aren’t disappointed.
10. Don’t neglect the aural ambiance: Play soft music! Classical music or light jazz is always soothing. Stream your tunes from a computer or tablet, use iTunes instead of tuning commercial radio station. Also mute the ringers on telephones and answering machines.
11. A lick of paint goes a long way: Lick of paint can improve the appearance of your home. you would be surprise to see how freshly painted white walls give your home clean, crisp and appealing look.
12. Serve winter foods: Serving hot food is another good thing you can do. Hot cocoa or hot apple cider is perfect beverage choices in winters. Stews and creamy hot soups are delicious on cold days, help buyers to feel warmth and affection towards the house.
13. Provide specific Information about each room: Remember that sellers have minimal time to make impression. To do so, make efforts as much as possible. Attach printed cards to items and in different rooms to provide detail information that the buyers might not know or might miss. For example, if you’ve an antique chandelier in your house, attach a card displaying its age and important features. You can impress your buyers by doing small efforts which lead you to the great deals.
14. Technology: Technology is used in every field so why not we use it in home selling. You can plug indoor lamps into a timer to automatically turn on at times you’re showing the house. Using motion sensor that light up in the evening when buyer approaches your doorsteps is another fascinating thing you can do. You can also program your oven to bake or reheat breads or cookies or crock pot to warm up soup at a designated time.