5 Tips to Sell Your Home this Winter

Are
you listing your property for sale this winter? Then you may have heard
it can be a more difficult time to sell, and while this can sometimes
be true with fewer house-hunters out and about at open homes, there are
also several advantages to selling in winter.

One
of the biggest advantages your property will have is a lack of
competition from other similar properties on the market compared with
busier selling periods like spring. With this in mind, it’s still
important to make sure your house is the best presented one for those
circling which properties to brave the cold and visit during the cooler
seasons.

Here, we take a look at the top five ways to help your home sell in winter.

1. Make the most of the season

Winter
can be a wonderful time to showcase some of the best features in your
home. If you’re lucky enough to have fireplaces, outdoor fire pits, or
centralised heating make sure these features are on full display during
open homes.

Fireplaces
should be clean, stocked with wood and even lit before an inspection
and heating should be turned on ahead of time so your home is warm
before visitors arrive.

2. Protect your home from the elements

If
your open home is scheduled during a rainy day, make sure people have a
place to wipe their feet before entering your home, and have somewhere
to stow umbrellas and wet coats so that muddy footprints and drips are
kept out of your property.

3. Create a cosy space

There
are lots of personal touches which can be added to an open home during
the winter months that will bring a real sense of warmth and cosiness to
your property.

Why
not bake before an inspection? This not only warms the kitchen area up,
but fills the home with an inviting scent, and the goods can be left
invitingly on the kitchen bench during the inspection. Or ask your agent
if they can supply mugs of hot chocolate to visitors as they make their
way through the home.

Little
touches like these don’t only make your open inspection memorable but
allows buyers to really get a sense of what it would be like to make
themselves at home in your property.

4. De-clutter and keep tidy

De-cluttering
and tidying are important steps to take no matter when you list your
home, but especially in winter when some of our outdoor furniture may
find itself in storage, or the home is looking a little more untidy than
usual before the spring clean has started.

Preparing
for an open home is a good time to make sure both indoors and outdoors
is presented well from a buyer’s perspective, which may mean the outdoor
table setting and umbrella needs to come out, the back patio swept and
the pool cleaned – even if these are typically jobs usually left to the
warmer months.

Don’t assume buyers will overlook clutter just because of the cool weather.

5. Make sure your home is clear and airy

If
your property has been shut up during the day to fend off the cold,
remember to open windows and let in the fresh air before an inspection.

You
want to ensure the property doesn’t smell stale or musty, so pick a
time before inspections to open windows and turn on ceiling fans to
allow some fresh air in. Leave enough time to warm things up again
before the open house.

These
are just a few of the best ways to make your home stand out during
winter, but don’t stop here. Make sure there are pillows and throws
adorning couches and window seats, and light candles in certain rooms to
create ambience. Winter is one of the seasons that allows us to
showcase our properties in a cosy and inviting light, so why not make
the most of it?