Tips For Selling Your Home in Winter
Darker, colder days are just around the corner. The thermometer is plummeting, and soon, real estate sales across North America will begin to slow as well. Slower real estate sales in the winter months is natural, it's expected, but, it doesn't mean you should hold off on buying or selling a home.
As the snow piles up, the days get darker, holidays come and go, and the temperature remains frigid, there are things you'll need to do differently to showcase your Chatham-Kent home for a quick sale.
Winter, typically means home sales decrease, but that doesn’t mean selling your Chatham-Kent home is impossible, it just means you (and I) will have to work harder. Here are a few tips to help sell your home during the winter:
- Turn up the heat: A cold house equals cold attitudes. Turn up your thermostat and make your home feel warm and comfortable. During your Chatham-Kent open house, if potential buyers feel cold, one, they’ll think your home has insulation problems, and two, they’ll be less happy, instantly reducing the chances of a sale, whether it is a conscious or unconscious decision on their part.
- Shovel, shovel, and shovel some more: As the snow piles up, keeping a clear path to your house needs to be a priority. Making potential home buyers walk through knee deep snow will show the you don't care about your property, nor about how they feel or what they think. Before your home goes on the Chatham-Kent real estate market, shovel a path. Once you've shoveled, keep shoveling. Keeping your driveway, porches, patios, and walkways clear of snow is vital in the winter. This is your wintertime curb appeal, so make everything look well-kept and safe.
- Let there be light: Dark, grey days, can migrate into your home making rooms look small and uninviting. Light is at a premium during our short, dark days, so open the curtains, wash the windows, and turn on as many lights as you can. While trying to sell your Chatham-Kent Ontario property, you can't be worried about electricity bills. Buyers frequently complain that properties look too dark. Light spaces look larger and more inviting. Turn on your light, and I mean all of them during any open house or showing.
- Appeal to the senses: You've made your house warmer and lighter, but don't forget to appeal to buyers' other senses. Bake some chocolate chip cookies or a pie to give your home a warm and comforting aroma. Put out hot chocolate, apple cider, or Christmas cookies during your open house, and feel free to put up a few, I repeat a few, decorations. Remember, making your house look and feel festive doesn’t mean recreating Santa’s village. Most Chatham-Kent realtors will encourage you to make your home look festive, but remember the importance of depersonalizing and de-cluttering. This tip is a fine balance.
- Put the clutter on ice: Many Chatham-Kent home owners bring in plants and patio furniture, and put out additional blankets or décor in the winter months. When you are showcasing your Chatham-Kent home however, these added bits of clutter, as well as things like Christmas gifts and trinkets, need to be put on ice. Creating a balance between less clutter, and festive feelings is difficult, so ask you Chatham-Kent realtor for help.
- Create a picture: Is your pool, patio, garden, and gorgeous deck covered in snow? Are you worried potential home buyers won't be able to imagine your outdoor spaces? Set out some pictures by your back door or on your table (not too many though) to showcase your finest outdoor features. This will help buyers imagine what the space is like during the warmer seasons, and might even make them anxiously anticipate their opportunity to use this space.
As it gets colder, the Chatham-Kent real estate market tends to slow, but that doesn't mean we can't sell your house. If you need help selling your home, or buying a home this winter, feel free to call me at 519-36-0141, or Contact Me. For more tips to help sell your home, check out the rest of my Chatham-Kent real estate resources.