Selling your Wonderland in the Winter!...
by Tracy Susick
While Spring is the most common time to put your house on the market,
selling in the “off” season of winter can be a very shrewd move and have
it’s advantages. Think of it as the “Pre Season Market”. With fewer
homes on the market, there is less competition. Get that buyer before
the other house down the street goes up for sale in the spring.
Interest rates are still favorable but will probably be going up more
and more so buyers will be interested in getting a better rate now. Not
every prospective buyer has to be concerned with starting the kids in a
new school in the middle of the school year. And sometimes people
actually move into a new house in the same neighborhood. Upsizing,
downsizing, merging households, job transfers and lifestyle changes are
all typical reasons for buying anytime of the year!
So, if you have your For Sale sign up in the snow, don’t despair! Savvy
homeowners do sell in winter but there are a few pros and cons and
special considerations. As with any home on the market, lets start at
the curb.
Curb Appeal Still Counts-- unless it’s buried in the
snow and ice.
Just like any other time of the year—if buyers don’t like what they see
from the street, they won’t even come inside. And as they are
approaching or walking around the house, they’ll still look at that
patio or deck and dream about the summer BBQ and the fun times, so make
sure front drives, walkways, steps, porches and decks are well cleared
and free of ice. Don’t just do the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other path
either. Give them a comfortable entryway to your home. It’s another
opportunity for a positive impression and to add to that well-maintained
feeling.
The same goes for the 2-foot long icicles hanging over the doorways and
off the gutters. Sometimes these can indicate a possible insulation
problem or lack of air circulation under the roof sheathing so keep them
under control whenever possible.
On the positive side, those overgrown or even poorly trimmed shrubs out
in the yard somehow look more wonderful frosted with a good layer of
snow. You still should clear out all the dead flowers and plants because
the snow will melt—at the most inopportune times.
Ac-cent-u-ate the Positive
Keep the snow cleared from a nice extra wide paved driveway. Multiple
car parking is always a plus feature particularly if your realtor and
buyers arrive in separate cars.
Got a nice porch? Show it off by having the porch light on at night or
on gray days. In the evenings always leave some lights on in the
prettiest windows for those inevitable “drive-by-first lookers”.
If the house is white or light colored, it can appear cold and
uninviting and even ‘lost’ in the snow. Because of this the lights can
help, but it becomes even more important to add some color
accents—wreaths, pots, or a brightly colored chair or bench on the porch
or near the front entry. Maybe these items could play up the color of
your trim or shutters. You need something attractive that says, “hey,
look at me.” If the house color shows off nicely against the snow and
has a warm inviting look, then all the better for you—but a welcome
wreath or swag is still a great idea for any house!
If you have a fireplace, perhaps you could add a pretty basket or copper
bin, with a few logs for the fire in it, to give a hint of the warmth
and welcome inside.
Side-Door Syndrome
I’m sure there will be some who will not agree but do not have the
prospective buyers come in the side door or through the tool-encrusted
garage. This is a pet peeve of mine. I know it’s convenient during wet
or winter weather, but unless the inside of your garage or your back
hall looks like the magazine cover of “House Beautiful”, don’t make that
your main entrance or your first impression at any time of the year.
Would you walk into your most important job interview with your comfy
slippers, sweats, and a t-shirt on? Of course not. And neither should
your house.
Besides, why would any buyer want to start their “new house dreams” off
with thoughts of yard work, snow removal or cleaning out the garage? The
garage should be neat, organized, and able to hold cars when they do get
around to looking at it however. And the garage door should always be
closed when prospective buyers and their agents arrive.
Have a spare entry mat or rug that is only for showings, always clean,
and vacuumed and put away after the buyers have left, ready for the next
“Can I show your house in a half an hour?” call. Or have two that you
can rotate.
Coats Are Us
The next consideration is wet boot, shoe, scarf, and glove control. Make
sure the coat closet is cleared out enough to handle the extra bulk and
number of garments that winter requires without looking over stuffed.
Use another closet for overflow. Or an attractive trunk or storage box
that can serve as a seat or table may help. Yes we all have to wear the
stuff. You just don’t want them to overtake the entryway during a
showing. Every positive impression counts.
Along that note—keep those indoor odors under control. We get too
immune to our own indoor smells. It may smell like home to us but not to
the buyers. With homes being more closed up and less fresh air coming
into the house, that can get out of hand. If you must, walk outside,
take in a few breaths of fresh air through your nose and then walk back
in or ask a friend or neighbor to come over and test the air for you.
Open a window to air things out as necessary and before showings. Stay
away from strong floral and spicy scents in fresheners or candles.
Neutral fresh scents are best. Using really heavy cleaners or bleach
makes the potential buyer wonder why and start looking for reasons.
The RWB Connection. That’s Roof, Window, and Basement—the old triad of
trouble. If you’re selling in winter, these do need to be in good
condition. Chances are the buyer will like being able to verify that
these are in good order and won’t be a future problem. That’s a bonus
for any homeowner!
Your roof needs to be in good shape with no leaks. And fix any telltale
interior water damage stains from old leaks. Telling a buyer that the
’leak is fixed’ but you just haven’t taken the time to fix the interior
damage doesn’t really satisfy them. They won’t be satisfied until the
inspection, and by that time they have already subtracted money from the
asking price for that possible damage.
A Clear and Pleasant View
Your windows, window trim and molding need to be in tiptop condition.
This is true at any time of the year, but particularly important in
winter. Sweaty, moldy, moisture damaged windowsills and jambs are a
definite turnoff to buyers. If you haven’t taken care of them because
it’s too much work what makes you think the buyer will want to do it on
a house he or she has just purchased? And if they do consider doing it,
it will cost you more than you think in their offering price.
Windows are one of those maintenance gauges for buyers –if they’re taken
care of, then the rest of the house probably has been maintained as
well.
You also need to make sure that all window treatments are open and that
the glass is clean to let in as much light as possible. In those
light-starved shorter days, this is even more critical. I know it’s
customary to have heavier window coverings during the colder months, but
this is one of those selling sacrifices that need to be made. Just pull
them back and open the view for showings and open houses.
Your basement should be clean, dry, and free of excess moisture and
odors. A dehumidifier can help keep it that way. If it means scrubbing,
scraping, coating and painting neglected areas, then ‘just do it’ as
they say. Gutters and downspouts that are clean and functioning can go a
long way to keeping water in its place and away from the foundation and
your basement..
So, have you passed the test on the big three? Your roof, windows
and basement are all in great shape? Then that’s your biggest advantage
to selling in the winter. You can sell in the winter! You don’t choose
to take your house off the market because it’s inconvenient or because
you have some nagging problems with the house. And buyers see that as a
very good thing. They know you are serious about selling, and if they’re
looking in the middle of winter, you know they‘re serious too! Less “lookie
–loo’s” in the winter.
Cozy Comes Easy
Warm, cozy and inviting comes naturally in colder weather. A fire looks
much more natural in the fireplace than it does in the middle of June.
Holiday Decor is okay as long as it is simply and tastefully done and
not too personal. This is not the time to have something in every room
or in every window. The same goes for all the kids’ handmade decorations
from grade school and the ornaments with the family pictures on them.
Save them for the next year in your new house.
But that reading chair, with the afghan tossed over the arm and a great
novel on the seat, waiting to be read, makes even more sense in the
winter. A few column candles, a basket with some rolled up towels, a
bath sponge and bath salts can turn a bathroom into a soothing spa on a
cold afternoon.
The smell of fresh bread or cookies from the oven can only add to the
“I’m home” feeling you want buyers to experience. And the oven won’t
overheat the kitchen in colder weather!
So there you have it. Open, light bright spaces that are welcoming and
attractive to the greatest number of prospective buyers, no matter what
the weather or season, is the goal. Remember it’s not what you like now
but what the buyers will like. That positive feeling that a
ready-to-sell home generates is contagious and is what brings in more
agents and buyers, multiple offers and a higher selling price.
“The way you live in your home, and the way you sell your house are two
different things”
Four of the things that affect the sale price of your home are Location,
General Market, Condition, and Presentation. You can’t do anything about
the first two, but you can affect the condition and the presentation of
your home. “You have only 30 seconds to make a good first impression.”
And the most critical and best time to sell is in the first 30 days on
the market.
That’s where Home Staging® comes in. Staging ® is the preparation of any
home for the real estate market regardless of price, market or location
and insures that your home looks its best every time it is shown during
that critical first 30 days.
The above recommendations are all things that a trained professional
stager would suggest to you. For more tips on preparing your entire home
for sale, read “Staging 101”, one of the other articles in this
directory. Or contact a stager® near you for your personal home review.
Staging® is an investment in your house for sale, not an expense. And it
is the one investment that makes all the other ones really pay off!
Happy Selling!
Tracy Susick is owner of Room Works Interior Redesign and Real Estate
Staging® located in Saegertown, Pa. “We love it when your room works!”
Accredited Staging® Professional
Interior Redesign Industry Specialist
814 763 5215
www.room-works.com
Read another home staging article...
Dressed to Sell: Staging makes the Difference
Within seconds of walking into a house, prospective buyers form an
impression and know whether they want to buy the house or not. In some
cases they won’t even get out of the car, upon looking at the outside of
the house.
