Selling Your Home This Winter? Four Pro Tips for Success

Let’s be honest here. Selling your home in the winter can be pretty hard.

For one, there’s just not much buying going on around the holidays. People are saving their cash (and spending it elsewhere), and they’re not looking to uproot their lives and move across town in the freezing cold weather.

It’s also hard on the selling end. Do you pack up all your gifts and holiday décor every time a showing comes around? Do you have to cancel your annual Christmas party for fear a buyer might want to drop in? What if you’ll be on vacation for long periods of time or your agent will be out of the country?

While it’s true that selling a home in winter might be a little more difficult, it’s definitely not impossible. It just takes a little forethought and a few extra precautions. Here’s what you can do to help your chances:

Embrace the season

Chances are your buyers are celebrating just like you do, so embrace it. Turn on your Christmas lights and trim your tree every time a showing turns up. Hang stockings, turn on the fireplace and spray evergreen or gingerbread scents throughout your home. ‘Tis the season!

Invest in an auto-vacuum.

Live Christmas trees are certainly a beautiful sight, but they often leave behind stray leaves and branches that get tracked all over the house. Invest in an automated vacuum cleaner that can ensure these are picked up before every showing without requiring much elbow grease from you. If you one isn’t in your budget, consider an artificial tree instead.

Call in the reserves.

Going on vacation? Have your agent handle all the showings on your behalf, and install a keybox on your door so buyers can still stop by when you’re out. Agent leaving town, too? Ask another realtor from their firm to fill in while they’re away.

Make it cozy.

When the weather’s cold outside, buyers are looking for warmth – a cozy, comfy ambiance that just feels like home. Add warm touches to each space in your house, like knit blankest on the couch, a sweater on the coat rack or a toasty fire pit on the back patio.

In the end, selling your home will also come down to your market, your price point, your property and the agent you enlist to help. Make sure you do your research before listing your home, and you’ll be golden.