In this article, I’ll be discussing “5 Ways to Prepare Your Home For Sale in the Winter”. As the saying goes, “We have two seasons in our region – Road Construction and Winter.” Some years it feels like our winter lasts for eight to nine months. If that’s the case and you need to sell, it might happen during the cold months of the year.
Have no fear. Buyers are still out in the winter. The buyers that look during the winter, tend to be more serious buyers. Think about it for a second – these buyers hop through snow drifts, have the potential to get stuck in a driveway, layer on clothes, parkas, hats and mittens, and stop at each entry way to take on and off their snow boots. It’s a workout for those buyers to view homes during the winter. As a seller, this is a great time to know when you need to head out for a showing in -30 below zero weather, it is a serious buyer looking at your home.
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Now let’s get down to business on 5 Ways to Prepare Your Home For Sale in the Winter.
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- Clear Your Driveway and Front Step // The first impression means everything when attracting buyers to purchase your home. When the driveway and walking paths are plowed and shoveled, it makes that showing go smoother. Trust me when the driveway and walking paths are not cleared of the snow, I hear it with colorful language.
- Create a Welcoming Entryway // One way to create a welcoming entry way is to add a rug and chair or bench. The snow on the bottom of people’s shoes and boots in our region, oftentimes has dirt and salt. The entryway rug will help collect the dirt and salt and make it looks less dirty by the front door. If there is no rug, the house will look dirty instantly because of our “snirt” (snow and dirt) in the region. The chair is also handy because it makes putting on boots and shoes a lot easier.
- Add a Winter Planter to Help Curb Appeal // When trying to have your home stand out in the winter, a colorful winter planter is just what you need. It makes the home look warm and inviting, on a cold snowy day.
- Set a Comfortable Temperature in the Home // Prior to the showing, turn the thermostat to 70 to 72 degrees. Many times the buyers are wearing layers of clothes, if the thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature the buyers may take off some layers and feel at home during the showing. However, if the home is vacant and set to a temp to not freeze up, the buyers may wonder if the furnace works. As a seller, it might be worthwhile to have a neighbor or request your listing agent to go over to the home prior to the showing to “warm it up” before the buyers arrive.
- Make the Home Smell Good // Many days sellers are cooped up in their homes during the winter months and the home starts to smell. As a seller you may not smell this smell because you live there. However, when a buyer comes over they can pick up the smell. One way to make the home smell good is to bake cookies or apple pie or boil on the stovetop a pot of water, orange peels with ½ teaspoon on cinnamon on medium heat.
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If you have any questions about how to prep your home for sale or the current market, please call or text me any time at 218-791-6747.
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