Winter is an ideal season for selling your home. For one, there are typically fewer listings than in the warmer months, coupled with the same numbers of potential buyers.
Secondly, home buyers know you mean business when selling your property in winter. Without the benefit of blooming spring gardens and inviting summer breezes, the unique qualities of your property can come to the fore.
We cover the highlights and areas of promotion designed to sell your home fast in the traditional season of hibernation.
Clear the home of clutter
A clutter-free home provides the illusion of extra space and also paints a picture of potential uses or scenarios for interested buyers. It pays to be ruthless in the culling process, where clear, clean, uncluttered spaces always supplant sentimentality. If you can afford to move much-loved but extraneous furniture and objects into storage, you are advised to do so. Employing an interior decorator to assign what should stay or go and can loan or lease additional items that suit the décor is a sales investment well spent.
A neat garden should define your great outdoors
With the absence of leafy greens and bright blooms, winter gardens are traditionally spare. This is why they should be presented in meticulous detail. Ensure that hedges are trimmed, overhanging branches are pruned and the weeding is regularly maintained.
If you have a swimming pool or outdoor spa, make sure that it is cleaned and/or covered at all times.
Mowing lawns and the removal of inappropriate outdoor furniture also provide for extra ground cover in your garden.
Keep your interiors warm and inviting
Creating a cosy atmosphere, combined with the suggestion of reduced energy bills, is essential for ambience and savings on running costs. Open fireplaces are an obvious example for inspirational warmth, scene-setting and energy saving. Similarly, the aroma of winter spices, such as clove and cardamom, the scent of freshly baked goodies, and the addition of gently piped music, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that can prove irresistible to aspirational buyers.
Complete any DIY projects before listing your property
It’s imperative that decking, painting and landscaping projects are completed to a high finish before the ‘open for inspections’ begin. Presenting your property in its full glory depends on the appearance of quality, style and aspirational value. There’s little that can enhance this process quite like a professionally finished deck, paintwork or a pristine garden with the multi-seasonal appeal.
Shine a light on your home’s best features
With the shorter days and reduced natural light of winter, it’s important to display your property’s selling points to your advantage. Showcasing open-plan rooms with zoned lighting works wonders for opening up a world of possibilities to potential buyers. Large kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms can be staged to feature areas within wide-open spaces. These include libraries, home offices, entertaining hubs and children’s play zones.