How to Sell Your Home in the Winter
Sell your home in the winter – This post was updated on December 17, 2019, to reflect new information and real estate trends!
Spring and summer see a flurry of activity in the housing market. Winter is traditionally a slower time, but “slower” usually refers to the number of houses on the market, not to the length of time a seller waits for a buyer.
Why is Winter a wonderful time to sell your home?
(and it is a wonderful time to sell)
Fewer houses on the market mean less competition for you as a seller. Less competition means that you can get a better price from motivated buyers.
This doesn’t mean that selling your house quickly is guaranteed. There are some details you will need to be mindful of that are specific to the winter season.
Here are some steps to take to sell your house quickly in the wintertime:
- Make sure your house is warm for house showings. Turn the heat up, especially if the house is vacant, so that prospective buyers don’t feel compelled to rush through the home to stay warm.
- Think warm when you stage your house. Add pillows, blankets, tablecloths, curtains, rugs to the home to give the suggestion of cozy warmth.
- Add houseplants for a cozy feeling. There are many houseplants that work well in the winter like succulents and poinsettias. You can use artificial plants for less maintenance.
- Go simple on the holiday decorations. Don’t let decorations distract from the house itself – you don’t want it to feel cluttered to the buyer or make it hard for them to visualize their furniture in the space.
- Make the home bright! Although this is a must for showing the house all year long, it’s even more important in the winter when it gets dark quickly outside. There is less opportunity to simply draw back the curtains for light. Add some more lamps and, if you are painting, choose light colors or white. Use timers for lights when possible to brighten the house when you are gone for the entire day. Also, consider using smart lighting through Google or Alexa so you can turn lights on and off from your phone when you’re at work or out of town for showings.
- Make room for coats. Prospective buyers will be looking for an entryway closet or coat hanger since they will come to your home with their own coats. Make sure your entryway closet looks tidy and uncluttered since they will be looking at it!
- Add an interior doormat to keep your floors dry during wet, wintery weather.
- Curb appeal still counts in the winter. Clear away dead plants left over from the summer. Rake and blow the leaves often. Clear sidewalks and driveways of leaves, pine needles, and other debris that can become slippery when wet. Although you may not be able to paint the exterior in the winter, you can still wash the outside to keep it clean.
- Check your outdoor entertaining areas. Instead of storing your furniture, consider keeping your furniture on your patio so buyers can visualize how to use the space in the spring and summer. Maybe even add a fire pit to give the suggestion of outdoor winter entertainment.
Winter is a great time to list your house for sale. You can get a jump on the spring market by having your house sold. Buyers are eager for good properties to come on the market so you can sell your home if you do the prep work to showcase your home.
If you’re thinking about listing your home this winter, give me a call – I’ll guide you through every step of the listing process, from staging your home to facilitating showings to accepting an offer. With over twenty years of experience in the Triangle real estate market, I have the expertise to ensure your home sells quickly and at top dollar! Call Amy for your Shair of the market! 919-818-5001. Visit us at www.AmyShair.com
