Winter has proven to be an excellent time to sell your home and waiting for the spring market could mean you missing out on a great selling opportunity.

Two of the best reasons to consider a winter listing are:

 

Less Buyer Competition

Listing in the winter can give your property more attention. Since many people consider spring to be the best season to sell your home, many homeowners wait to list their homes until then. This increases the amount of inventory buyers have to look at.

With fewer homes available in the winter, this may be a better time to put your home on the market.

Serious buyers only!

If a buyer is house hunting in the winter, they’re ready to move. Prospective buyers who shop during the winter months don’t want to miss out on the perfect home by taking the chance that another buyer will purchase the home before spring.

In the spring, the flood of new houses on the market coupled with freshly warmed weather can create a lot of “thinkers” who aren’t really ready to buy.

In short, winter buyers are more likely to pull the trigger on making an offer on your home.

So, you have decided to list during the winter. Here’s some key things to keep on mind before welcoming interested buyers in.

Set the Temperature

While you may be trying to economize, it’s important to remember that you want buyers to feel warm and welcome the second they walk in the door. Keeping your home warm (but not hot) is one way to make it easier to connect with it.

Handle the elements

If you live in a climate with snow and ice, it’s crucial to avoid potential obstacles or safety hazards. Your sidewalks, driveway and doorstep should remain clear, giving potential buyers easy access to the house and helping them avoid a nasty fall.

Prioritize coziness

Buyers want to feel warm and cozy the second they walk into your home. Add blankets, rugs, candles and pillows throughout the space. If you have a fireplace, make sure it’s pumping out heat and light during showings.

Be mindful of holiday decor

Even though it’s the holidays, it’s important to pay attention to what’s on display throughout your home. While buyers don’t expect you to avoid seasonal decor, you may want to keep it as neutral as possible. For Keep it simple and tasteful.

If your listing extends into January, make sure new photos are taken without the decorations so your listing does look dated.

Better still, if you know well in advance that you will be listing in the winter, ask you Realtor® to offer two versions of your video tour to show the home at its best in the summer and the winter.

Show buyers how your home looks like during other seasons

To give buyers an idea of what the home looks like during other months, you may want to provide a photo album for them to browse. This will give them an idea of what they can expect when spring arrives. In the album try to highlight your curb appeal, gardens, patio, decks and other exterior features. You can do this with the listing photos as well.

If you have any listing questions, need to discuss the current local market, reach out to me in confidence on 902 394 7071 or email melanie@impresspei.com