How To Sell A House In Winter

by Homepie | Published February 8, 2022 | } 5 Minutes

When it comes to the housing market, winter isn’t the best time to try to sell a home, especially if you live in colder climates. The cold weather discourages potential buyers to venture out and view homes. Most people want to be living in their new home by the time the holidays roll around as well. This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to sell a home in winter though. There are helpful steps that you can take to make your home more appealing during those dreary months.

Unobstructed Paths

The first thing you need to do is make sure the paths up to your home are cleared and safe. If it snows, be sure to shovel and treat the path to prevent ice from forming. You want potential buyers to be able to clearly see if there are steps down to the path and prevent accidents from happening. No one wants to trudge through the snow to get to your home. Also, be sure to have a rubber mat to prevent melted snow and dirt from being tracked through the home.

Let There Be Light

Winter brings some of the longest darkest days. This is why it’s important to make sure the home is very well lit inside and out. When having potential buyers view the home, make sure there is ample natural light, as well as artificial light. Make it cozy by lighting the fireplace if you have one. You want to make the rooms feel bright and warm. One tip is to use some spotlights behind your furniture to bring in more light in a non-invasive way.

Be Sure To Clean Well

When trying to sell your home, you want it to sparkle, whether it’s winter or not. Be sure to clean your windows, get rid of cobwebs that are hiding in corners, and dust well. Other things to do are:

• Recaulk or bleach grout that has become dingy looking around the sinks, tub, and shower.
• Give chrome mirrors and faucets a nice polish.
• Make sure the floors are washed and polished, and carpets are well vacuumed.
• Be sure to empty the recycling and garbage bins every day.
• Get rid of any clutter around the home.

Buyers want to be able to imagine their own things in the spaces of your home. The less cluttered the rooms, the better. If you don’t have the time to declutter or have no space to put that extra furniture, consider selling the home to a cash house buyer. Cash buyer’s will often overlook any clutter or other cosmetic issues and buy the home as-is. Some will even purchase a property that has junk that needs hauling away.

Stage Your Home

If you want to go that one step further than cleaning, staging your home is a good idea. You can actually hire people who stage homes for a living. They will be able to create a nice flowing path through the home, draw attention away from not-so-great areas and towards the home’s highlights and features. They add those little touches and accessories that make a home look more appealing. Staging can be expensive, but for the right home, it’s worth it. To save on this expense, you can stage yourself if you have a knack for interior decorating or otherwise. It’s helpful to look at images of professionally staged homes for ides you can implement.

Make Sure The Home Is Well Heated

When you have potential buyers coming to view the home, turn the heating up just a bit so that it’s comfortable. A warm, cozy home makes people want to stay a bit longer and really get a feel for the home environment. This is also a good idea if you are not living in the home that you are selling. Keeping things at around 65 degrees (F) will be enough to keep pipes from freezing and keep the home at a comfortable temperature for those unexpected viewings, but when you know you have a showing lined up, bump that temperature up to 72 degrees (F).

Make Specific Information Accessible

You can write out cards to place in each room that gives potential buyers details that they may miss. For example, pointing out the antique lighting fixtures in the dining room, letting them know what appliances will remain in the home, or perhaps pointing out smart light switches or cameras, etc. Think of the details that you would want to know about if you were shopping for a home.

Creating A Comforting Atmosphere

Creating an environment or mood that feels inviting, especially during the winter, is important when it comes to selling a home. Dress up and set that dining table, throw afghan blankets across the sofa, and make bathrooms look like a spa with gorgeous plush towels. You could add fresh flowers to evoke that springtime feeling as well. If you have beautiful flower gardens in the warm months, photograph these and have them out so buyers can see the potential the home offers.

Another thing that you can do is have some ambient music or sounds playing in the background. Bake some cookies to give the home that comforting smell and leave them out for guests to enjoy as they look at the home. Serve some warm apple cider and hot cocoa. If you are going to use scents in the home, make sure they aren’t too overpowering and are relatively neutral, like vanilla.

If you do it the right, you can make your home very appealing to buyers, even in the gloomy cold weather of winter. Homepie can help answer any questions you have related to selling your home, whether you need help with staging, photography, pricing, listing on the MLS, we’ve got you covered, and you’ll save a tone of money while you’re at it.