Keys To Selling Your Home This Winter

You’ve probably heard that it’s better to sell a home during the warmer months, but this doesn’t mean that you should overlook the advantages of selling your home in the winter.

While it’s true that there are typically less buyers shopping for homes during the winter months, there are also less homes for sale, which reduces the number of homes you need to compete against. This will give your home more attention than it might receive during the summer month.

Add to that…

• There is still a shortage of homes for sale in the area and the demand for homes is still greater than the current supply, and
• Serious buyers are still aggressively looking for a home and the reduction in home shoppers largely comes from tire kickers and those looking for something to do over the weekend.

With these advantages in mind, winter could be the best time for you to get the most from your home sale.

That said, each season has different keys for staging and marketing your home to attract the right buyers and get the highest amount possible for your home sale.

Here we’ll look at some of the most important keys to selling your home this winter.

Curb Appeal

One of the biggest mistakes made by homeowners selling during the winter season is that they underestimate the importance of curb appeal to prospective buyers.

Don’t forget, for a buyer visiting your home, their tour doesn’t begin after they enter your front door. It begins with the first impression your home makes as they arrive., and I personally believe that greater curb appeal leads to a higher sale price.

Yes, the lawn isn’t lush, the trees have no leaves, and there are no flowers blooming, so addressing curb appeal in the winter is different than in the warmer months, but just as important.

Here are some of the keys to look at.

• Keep your yard, bushes, driveway, window wells, etc. free from any leaves, debris, and fallen branches. This will keep the home looking well maintained and tidy compared to other homes on the market and in your neighborhood.
• Snow can create a wonderful winter scene for your home, but make sure to keep your sidewalk, steps, driveway, porch, and deck free from any snow and ice. In addition to being a safety risk, slipping and falling during the visit will definitely put a damper on things, as well as suggesting that the home is not well maintained.
• Turn on all exterior lights for showings of your home even during the daytime. This will help brighten your home on those darker, gloomier days of winter.
• Add a welcoming and fun mat to your front door and a rubber map for buyers to leave their boots and shoes before entering the home.
• If needed, and if the ground isn’t frozen yet, consider adding a few winter hardy evergreens to add some color and depth to your property.

One last item. If you have appealing pictures of your home and yard during the summer months, it’s a good idea to put together a small album so buyers can see how wonderful your home looks during those months as well.

Interior Staging

The same three rules of De-clutter, De-personalize, and Deep cleaning of the interior of the home still apply during the winter months as well as during warmer weather.

But the added advantage of selling your home during the winter months gives you an opportunity to highlight the warmth and coziness of your home that you don’t get to highlight during the summer.

Here are several tips for creating an inviting and enticing interior to your home.

• Turn the thermostat up a couple of notches to create a warm (not hot) atmosphere as buyers enter your home from the cold outside.
• Check for drafts from windows and doors and have them sealed as they’ll be much more apparent as buyers tour the interior of your home.
• Bring focus to any energy efficient features your home offers.
• Highlight your fireplace, if you have one, and let buyers imagine themselves relaxing around the fire on those cold and snowy winter nights.
• Add a throw blanket or a few soft pillows to your living room.
• Set your dining room table as though you were getting ready for a holiday dinner party.
• Have soft holiday music quietly playing in the background. Holiday classical music works best for this.
• Bake some cookies, make a fresh pot of coffee, or use some candles or scents to give the home a warm holiday aroma. Be sure to not go overboard as scents dissipate slower with all the doors and windows closed.
• Do add some light holiday décor to your home to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Be mindful that many buyers will be from different backgrounds and beliefs that may be different than yours.
• Turn all of the lights on and open all of your shades and blinds to make your home as bright and inviting as possible. This also creates a nice view from the outside as well.

Professional Photography

Less people out and about, and less people attending open houses during the winter months means you need to rely more on digital marketing to sell your home.

This means that the pictures used on real estate websites, flyers and more, are even more important during these months.

They need to capture the key selling features of your home so that they are visually conveyed to prospective buyers looking for a home online.

That’s why it’s important to use a professional real estate photographer along with your real estate agent.

Your agent will know which features and benefits of your home are currently in the most demand by buyers and the photographer will know how to capture those with high-quality listing photos.

Don’t forget about virtual tours which are another great tool to showcase the benefits and features of your home.

Scheduling Showings

Regardless of the time of year, you want to make your home as accessible as possible to prospective buyers. Keep in mind that many buyers work different schedules and if your agent is doing a good job marketing your home, many buyers are likely traveling from a distance also.

So, without making it mandatory, you should try to encourage buyers that have flexibility, to visit your home during the daytime. It gets darker earlier during the winter months and allowing buyers to get a good view of the exterior of the home as well as the interior will lead to more offers from those visits.

It’s also important to be patient during these months as well. Winter weather, holiday traffic, etc., may cause buyers to be late for showings. Realize that these buyers braved the weather and more to see your home, and we need to be appreciative of their efforts.

Price It Correctly

While this is critically important during any season, it is too important to leave out of this conversation. Setting the right price for your home is one of the top items that will determine how high a price you will get for your home.

Price your home too high, and you’ll likely get few, if any, potential buyers asking to tour your home, and therefore, few, or low, offers on your home.

Price your home too low and you run the risk of buyers thinking there is something wrong with the home or that you are  desperate to sell. This also leads to fewer visits and few, or low offers on your home.

There are a number of factors to consider when deciding what price to list your home including, recent nearly sales, current homes for sale, unique features and benefits of your home and neighborhood, and much, much more. Your real estate agent should be a big help to you. Don’t rely on online valuations as they are just estimates, very generic, use broad criteria, and you’ll notice that their valuations vary greatly from site to site.

Pricing your home correctly, regardless the time of year, will help ensure you get the greatest number of buyers, most number of offers, and highest sale price for your home.

Conclusion

Don’t let the fear of selling your home in the winter. As you can see there are also advantages to selling during these months and if approached correctly, will get your home sold for the highest possible dollar amount, in the fastest time, and with the most ideal terms. You’ll also be able to start your next journey to your new home without waiting for what may be perceived as a better time. Keep in mind, the best time to sell your home is when you’re ready to sell your home, not based on a season or calendar.

As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have an questions.