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By Rhonda Underhill
Putting a house on the market during the colder months can be a little intimidating. However, if you’re downsizing or moving to warmer digs for retirement, you sometimes have to sell while it’s cold out. From lackluster lighting to slushy driveways, winter weather can put a major cramp in your house-selling plans.
However, the right approach will actually allow you to take advantage of winter weather. Buyers tend to be serious, and while the market isn’t sizzling, the process goes more quickly than in warmer months.
By taking a creative look at your staging, open house, and listing photography, you’ll be able to make selling during winter a breeze.
Winter Selling Basics
There are a few basic things to consider when selling a home during the winter. The first is making sure you have an accurate idea of how much your home is worth. The longer you’ve had your home, the harder it can be to have a sense of how much you should list it for.
So many factors go into a home’s worth: Everything from how recently you replaced the water heater to the height of the tree down the road can impact your final figures. A PennyMac home worth tool can assess these variables with reasonable accuracy for a sense of what kind of profit you can expect.
Whether you’re moving out before or after you list your home, you’ll need to make sure you do so safely. Moving during the colder months presents some complicating safety hazards. Between driving conditions and carrying belongings on slick surfaces, you can risk both your valuables and your joints. Hiring a local team of pros will ensure your move is quick, efficient,
and, most importantly, safe.
Staging in the Snow
You may think that dreary weather will make staging a challenge, but you can actually turn the chill to your advantage. When it’s cold and miserable outside, you have the perfect opportunity to show off how warm and comfy your property is. There’s nothing like going to an open house and stepping out of the blustery cold and into a perfectly cozy space.
Ideally, you want to set up your house to show off plenty of warmth – both literal and metaphorical – during an open house. Pop cookies into the oven, or set up a simmer pot on the stove to fill the house with homey, seasonal scents. If you have a fireplace, consider lighting it.
You can use the same cozy aesthetic to make your home appealing for listing photos. However, Eveready points out you’ll want to make sure your lighting is winter-appropriate. Grey skies outside can reduce the amount of natural light in your home, so you may need to give the space a little boost for photos and open houses.
Comforting Curb Appeal
Finally, you can make sure the outside of your home is properly decked out for the winter months. Simple steps can help you to ensure your house has great curb appeal throughout the season. For example, ornamental trees or bushes can add a pop of color and are a simple way to embrace the winter aesthetic.
There are a number of safety and maintenance measures you should take as well. Before you host an open house or have photos taken, be sure to shovel and salt the walkways. You need the area to be navigable, and you need to make sure the snow doesn’t cover up the shape of the yard. Also, consider knocking down any big icicles that have formed over the top of porches or doorways, as these can be a hazard.
You have to take a different approach when selling in the winter, but it can pay off. Stage thoughtfully, and aim for safety throughout the process, both for yourself and for house hunters. By making your home look cozy and inviting against the snowy backdrop, you can make the most of even the chilliest weather.
Rhonda Underhill created getwellderly.com to share her passion for diet and exercise with other people her age.
