Selling a house is not an easy job at the best of times, and it can be even harder to sell it in the middle of winter; the front garden is brown, the weather is bad, and you barely get a chance to show your home to the potential buyer in bright sunlight. However, by following a few simple guidelines, like keeping your home cosy, keeping snow and ice at bay, and creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for potential buyers, you can really make your house stand out, even when the weather outside is appalling.
First impressions count a lot, so it is usually very important for your home to have kerb appeal; however, the winter snow and gloom can make it tough for houses to have attractive exteriors. Make sure your home does not look like a snow house, because potential buyers will be interested in seeing the natural look of your house, which they cannot make out if the house is buried under mounds of snow. Furthermore, if the potential homebuyer cannot get in easily, your home will not sell; therefore keep the driveway and walkways clean and free of snow and ice. If you cannot take time out to shovel all the snow away, or live in an area that experiences extremely bad weather during winters, it is better to hire a professional service to regularly shovel the driveway and walkways.
Maintaining the front lawn during winter is another tough challenge. While a lush green lawn with colourful flowers looks really nice during the spring and summer seasons, it can be next to impossible to show off a blooming garden to potential buyers in the middle of winter. Instead, you need to use structural elements in the garden, like urns, benches, and rock walls, to grab the buyer’s attention. You must also make sure your lawn is properly mowed, and free of autumn leaves or any dead tree branches. Go ahead and visit your local nursery to buy some winter flowers, especially for hanging baskets.
Keeping your home warm is also very important. To make sure that your house remains cosy when the viewings are taking place, turn the heating system on about an hour before the visitors arrive. Besides adding a cosy effect, this will be proof that the heating system of the house is functioning properly. Go ahead and add a welcoming effect by lighting a fire in the fireplace; however, if the wood-burning fireplace is old and gives off a smoky smell when ignited, do not bother with this.
A quick sale with a great deal requires viewings to be conducted in bright sunlight. Since the duration of sunlight during winters is a lot less as compared to summer and spring, make the best use of artificial lights. Make sure all your bulbs are working and upgrade them to at least 100 watts. Turn all the lights on before showing the house to a buyer.