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Winter brings our favorite holidays to spend with family and loved ones. Therefore, significant changes like relocation and home hunts usually wait for spring. Still, if a unique opportunity in your life shows up, timing is not always a priority. Selling a home in the offseason might not be ideal since many future homeowners prefer home hunting during the spring and summer months. That means sellers need to put extra effort into making houses attractive and appealing during the winter while focusing on specific home improvements. However, the process is not complicated as it sounds. You need to prepare well and adjust the home selling strategy to reflect the season. If you're considering putting up your house on the market in the upcoming months, here are the expert tips for selling a home in winter.
Focus on seasonal maintenance and home improvements
Winterizing your home every year is necessary when living in a temperate or climate with harsher winters. Whether you're simply taking care of your home maintenance or preparing it for sale, you need to be sure things work like a clock, saving you from potential mishaps and discomfort low temperatures and bad weather can bring. Therefore, before putting a home on the market, focus on maintenance and improvements that will make an easier sale:
roof inspection and repair,
HVAC and heating system maintenance,
sealing doors and windows drafts for better insulation,
cleaning gutters,
examining pipework,
checking for traces of mold and mildew,
having a chimney and fireplace checked.
Paying attention to necessary improvements can add to your home value and make a faster sale since no one wants additional costs when moving to a "new" house. Also, you won't have to worry about inconveniences during home inspections and showings if something doesn't work during viewings.
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| Silver, white, and light pastel color details and textures can bring the winter spirit to any home. |
Stage to amaze
Many real estate agents agree that creating a warm and welcoming house-staging atmosphere is one of the most important tips for selling a house in winter. A cozy vibe attracts most buyers regardless of season, so do your best to make every part of the house appealing. The potential buyer needs to imagine their life in such surroundings but to make such ambiance, you'll need to depersonalize the place.
When staging your home, to impress possible buyers, you'll need to focus on neutral furniture and snug fabric and texture choice. Use thick drapes to address the vertical decor, and throw pillows and blankets on beds and armchairs to create a feeling of comfort. Some sellers use winter scents such as clove and cinnamon aromas during showings, but scents can be a turnoff if associated with bad memories. Thus, instead of using smells to create a certain appeal, use the real thing instead. Offer a serious buyer a cup of winter tea or mulled wine.
Lighting can do wonders in winter homes
The sun rises later and sets earlier during winter, allowing less natural light in our homes. Since natural light is essential, invest in brighter light fixtures when working on home improvements. In addition, you can add some ambient light for a pleasant atmosphere.
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| Track light or festive candles can accent corners and specific features of place. |
Show off with energy-efficient appliances
The opportunity for saving money on utilities is a great feature to emphasize. Therefore, if your house has quality energy-efficient appliances, you should take advantage of them. In addition, when investing in improvements to add value to the property, consider eco-friendly features installments.
Make sure your curb appeal is seasonally appropriate
When selling a home in winter, many homeowners make bad choices when working on a curb appeal. Winter brings holidays, which can help with the sale. However, sometimes sellers go overboard with festivity decor. A home can look tacky if many colorful lights and specific holiday decor are used. Such items distract the potential buyers and hide the best features your home exterior has. Therefore, instead of going all-in with holiday decorations, invest in pleasant and neutral landscape lighting and seasonal plants.
Make sure your outdoor furniture is clean and stored since it has no purpose during winter. According to moving and storage experts from promoversmiami.com, the number of sellers who opt to rent storage units rises at the end of the year. This is due to storing not only holiday decorations but also curb decor and patio furniture.
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| White lanterns with LED light can create a fairytale-like ambient if selling a home in winter with snow |
Keep everything fresh and clean
Nothing repels buyers more than a dirty house. Cleaning every inch of the home is crucial when putting a home for sale. Every detail needs to be tended evenly, from deep cleaning the carpets, hardwood floors, and upholstery to power washing the outdoor stairs, porches, and driveways.
Pay special attention when cleaning certain areas, such as the bathroom and kitchen. They are critical features in any home, and at the same time, they are very high-traffic areas. Keep them fresh and neat at all times, especially if you plan to live in the house during showings.
Benefits of selling your home in winter
Regardless of the slower housing market end of the year and holiday season brings, winter sales have its perks. Firstly, many sellers will pause the sale until spring or take the home off the market. This means less competition and more motivated buyers. In addition, your home won't get lost in a sea of houses the market has.
Whether it's your ad or home staging, introducing a discreet holiday aesthetic will do wonders. Therefore, to attract more potential buyers, follow these top tips for selling a home in winter and stay neutral with decor. Winter brings festivities for many cultures; thus, remaining unbiased will help a lot with the genuine appeal. You can decorate your home in a festive spirit even without setting up a flashy Christmas tree. Instead, focus on lighting and neutral decor that will bring out the best features of your home interior and exterior.
Photos used:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/contemporary-country-house-facade-in-winter-7031406/
https://unsplash.com/photos/yL9ruXs5I9c
https://unsplash.com/photos/iKHXbvNHXPQ
https://unsplash.com/photos/qC117ahi-mE
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