The winter season can be a challenging time to sell a home. The heavy snow on the ground can hide the curb appeal of many homes and the cold weather can even deter potential buyers from coming out to see a tour. If you’re worried about your home’s ability to sell, you’ll want to check out these helpful tips for selling a home in the winter.
Set a Realistic Timeline
The first tip in selling your home during the winter is to set a realistic timeline. You can’t go into a home selling endeavor with a plan to sell within thirty days. Doing so will only lead to disappointment and implications for your future plans.
To avoid these issues, consider what a realistic timeline would be. On average most homes can take 2-3 months to sell. Factor in the downside of the winter season, you could be looking at more than those 3 months.
Setting a realistic timeline will allow you to accurately plan your next housing opportunities as well as give you enough time to get your personal handlings figured out.
Be Mindful of Your Curb Appeal
The next tip is to be mindful of your curb appeal. Even though there’s plenty of decorative snow on the ground, that doesn’t mean there isn’t area for you to improve its look. In fact, you’re going to want to up your curb appeal game if you want to sell your home sooner rather than later.
For example, you want to ensure all sidewalks and pathways remain shoveled. You never know when a potential buyer could be driving by. You’ll also want to keep your front yard well lit. This will allow your home to remain bright and illuminated despite the sun’s early sunset.
You also need to pay attention to the roof—it doesn’t go unnoticed in the winter, either. For example, if you’re noticing ice dams, you’re going to want to remove them and get to the bottom of what’s causing them. Ice dams can be a red flag as they can implicate problems with the home’s insulation or attic ventilation. That’s something you’ll need to take care of before you sell.
These minor details can affect the image of your home. It’s important to be mindful of them and do your best to showcase the best version of your home.
Showcase Various Photography
For your online listings, don’t focus on the current image of your home. Of course, you want to include the latest pictures, but don’t be afraid to include other images as well. If you include photographs of your home’s exterior from various seasons, potential buyers will be able to see what their future house looks like year-round and not only in the cold and gloomy season that you’re currently in.
Many people believe the winter season is the worst time to sell a home. But the truth is that potential buyers are less patient in the wintertime. With the cold weather and snow, they’re likely to want to expedite the buying process in order to enjoy the warmth and coziness of their future home. For that reason, you should remain optimistic and use these tips for selling a home in the winter. With these helpful suggestions, you’ll be able to sell in no time at all.