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Top 10 tips for selling your home in the winter

 

The common notion that spring is a better time to sell than winter is being challenged by today’s continuing hot seller’s market conditions. A recent Royal LePage survey found that 82% of real estate professionals say they would advise their clients to sell this winter rather than wait until spring. This is significantly higher than the 64% who say they would have given that advice prior to the pandemic, citing that current demand is outstripping supply in another year of unusual winter market activity. 93% of British Columbia respondents said they’d advise clients to sell in the winter, followed by Quebec at 87%.

If you are considering listing your home this winter season, be sure to review these top ten tips for preparing your home for a winter sale!

1.  Include both winter and summer photographs of your home in the listing so prospective buyers can better imagine themselves in the property all year round.

2.  Clear a path to the front door and pathways around the home. Make sure the walkway is free of snow and ice.

3.  Keep the heat in your home at a comfortable temperature for showings. Buyers may unconsciously think that your home is too cold to be welcoming and nice to live in.

4.  Seal up any drafts in windows, doors, and wall sockets.

5.  Ensure that you have a large mat at the entry so that visitors don’t leave your floors looking messy for the next appointment and to help them avoid wet feet. Keep your winter boots and coats out of the way in your closet to make the area look more spacious and so that visitors have a clear space to enter.

6.  Up your winter curb appeal: upgrade your mailbox and house number; add winter floral arrangements with hearty outdoor perennial planters.

7.  As the days are shorter during the winter and it gets dark earlier, keep outdoor lights on during showings.

8.  Regardless of the season, it’s a good idea to turn on every indoor light before every showing. While preferable to have your home shown during the daytime when there’s lots of natural light, it’s more important to have the showing occur.

9.  Make the front door and entrance look warm and welcoming with seasonal decor.

10.  Showcase how your outdoor spaces can be enjoyed even in the colder months. Be sure to clear off outdoor furniture that can be used in winter.

There are many other tips that apply to making homes more appealing to buyers in any season:

  • pack away all personal photographs so that buyers don’t feel that they are visiting someone else’s home, and instead can picture themselves in your space;
  • remove all personal items from bathroom counters because that can make buyers feel that they are intruding (plastic baskets can be great for this – grab and slide them under the counter when you need to and pop them back out for use);
  • put away as much from kitchen counters as you can into cupboards, drawers, and closets – clear spaces look larger;
  • and aim to pack away at least half of the contents of every closet – people will get the impression that there will be tons of space for their clothes and other items (out-of-season articles are a good start).

We’re happy to provide more specific recommendations and we always provide a consultation with a professional stager to our seller clients who would like one!

 

 

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