Home Selling Guide: 5 Tips for Selling Your Home in the Winter
In both commercial and residential real estate, winter has always been notorious for being a difficult time to sell a property.
Sellers believe that the often colder temperatures, adverse weather conditions, and less eagerness to go out to home showings might have an impact on their ability to sell quickly. After all, when the temperature is freezing, it’s much easier to stay at home and wait for nicer days.
But what if we told you that it doesn’t have to be like that? Selling a property in winter is not only possible, but it’s also much easier than you ever thought.
If you plan on selling your home fast in the winter season, then check out the five tips in our essential home selling guide right here.
1. First Impressions Do Matter
What are we talking about? But curb appeal, of course.
This includes everything from your property’s exteriors — windows, doors, balconies, paint, and so on — to your front lawn or patio.
Once you have set the date for your next showing or open house, it’s a great idea to start wowing your potential buyers by taking the best possible care of your home entrance.
A manicured lawn, a fresh coat of paint, sparkling windows, and clean doors are essential.
Has it been snowing, recently? Then, remember to shovel a path through the snow, and take care of any potentially hazardous ice patches.
Nobody wants to leave a home showing with a broken ankle!
2. Stage Your Home Beautiful
A quick tidy-up or even a thorough cleaning done by a professional company is not enough if you want to up your home’s selling potential in winter.
What you should do, in fact, is stage your home.
When we talk about home staging we mean creating a beautiful, yet realistic, lived-in atmosphere throughout the house.
For example, you might want to add some colorful, seasonal pieces of fruit to a bowl and use it as a centerpiece of your dining table. Or, what about including some beautiful accessories such as throws, cushions, and mirrors?
The aim is to help your potential buyer see and feel how amazing their new life in your property will be.
Remember, though, that in order for your home staging to be as profitable as it can be, you’ll need to work with a professional company.
Do some research and ask around for recommendations, and you are bound to find a great partner to help you achieve your desired results.
3. Let the Sunshine In
Another feature that most buyers are drawn to when viewing properties for sale, is how bright and airy they are.
This can be, of course, a bit more difficult to showcase in winter, when the weather is often all doom and gloom, and it gets dark much earlier in the day.
For this reason, you’ll want to bear three things in mind.
One, always keep a close eye on the weather forecast. Try not to arrange any showings on days when rain or snow are expected. This is crucial as it will not only mean that you’ll be able to take advantage of the natural light, but also because more interested buyers are likely to turn up.
Two, always arrange your home showings late in the morning or just after lunchtime. This will enable you to make the most of the day’s natural light.
Three, of course, remember to pull all your blinds up, open the shutters, and turn on the lights.
4. Make It as Cozy as Possible
In winter, most people crave warmth, coziness, and comfort.
Bear this in mind, when scheduling your next home showing.
To begin with, turn up the thermostat in your house so that you can reach a pleasant temperature that your potential buyers will feel comfortable in. This should be around 65 degrees, and it will also mean that more people are likely to stick around for longer, thus increasing your chances of selling your home.
Then, consider lighting up a few candles around the house, particularly in rooms like the bathroom and the lounge.
Do you have a fireplace? Turn it on, too, as it will further enhance that atmosphere of coziness and warmth that you are seeking to create.
Remember, though, that not everyone likes strong scents, and that some people might also be allergic to them. So, always opt for either unscented candles or for candles with very subtle fragrances.
5. Prepare Comforting Winter Snacks and Hot Drinks
Who doesn’t like walking into a stunning, welcoming, bright house and being greeted by a spread of delicious snacks and drinks?
Even better if all of it is for free. So, just before your interested buyers are arriving, remember to lay some yummy food on a table by the main door.
Some ideas? Warm finger foods and canapes, small bowls of homemade soups or stews, and of course something sweet like brownies or pies. And remember to have plenty of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate at hand, too.
Your Ultimate Home Selling Guide to Sell Your Property in Winter
Selling your home in the colder months of the year has never been easy, with our essential home selling guide.
Do you need more tips, help, or advice on how to sell a property in the Memphis area?
Make sure that you contact us today. Our expert and friendly team is looking forward to assisting you with selling your home fast for cash!