Selling Your Home in the Winter

Selling your home in the summer can be a bit of a breeze. The weather is warm, people are a little bit more relaxed, and you can use critical items like fresh flowers and citrus scents to give off happy vibes. But what happens in the winter? The dark mornings and evenings can make people a little on the grouchy side. If your home is already dressed and ready to sell, then click here, if not then luckily there are a few things that you can do that will make the process just as easy as a summer sale.

Cinnamon and Apples

Most of us now associate Autumn and Winter with pumpkin spiced lattes, warm cinnamon cookies and hearty belly-warming meals. While you might not personally buy into the hype of the highly Instagrammed PSL, the scent of baked goods in your house is a good idea. While you should steer clear of complicated layered scents – which distract the buyers from the details of the property, familiar smells like cinnamon, oranges, and apples make for an inviting aura. It is worth remembering that all lived in houses have a unique scent, and it is one you might not notice – so a scent that everyone can appreciate is worth some investment.

The Big Cosy

Staging is big business in the house sales market. Ideally, you should spend a decent amount of time and effort cleaning the house. Get into the nooks and crannies with some serious elbow grease. Once that is tackled, decorate your sofas with large soft cushions, invest in a few chunky knitted throws too. Make the main rooms in the house look like the ideal Hyyge photo. Clean and cosy.

Lighting

Great lighting is essential on the darker days. While you might be tempted to light candles every time you have a late in the day viewing – hold off on the open flames. You can purchase a range of electric candles and place them in critical areas in the home. Tea lights work particularly well along window ledges and around fireplaces, large pillar candles can turn practically any surface into a featured space. There will likely be plenty of prospective buyers throughout the day too, meaning that you should be opening those curtains, angling the blinds to let in the maximum amount of light – the more natural light here, the better.

Maintain the Curb Appeal

You might find that you get a lot of snow the day of a viewing. Take great care in shovelling and de-icing your pathways. If you have a little path, that might not be too easily seen in the rain or on the darker early evenings then get yourself some solar panel lighting to help the prospective buyers find their way to your door with ease. (Plus the warm glowy lighting is very enticing and attractive).

Knock Knock

If you are well into the festive period, then you might like to think about having some little seasonal touches around the front door. A beautiful wreath on the door is a lovely sight. Ensure that you have a welcome mat that prospective buyers can thoroughly wipe their feet on, and is easy to clean too. Small planters with plants like spruce or winterberry give off a fresh pine smell, and green is notorious for its buyer psychology. Green general makes people subconsciously think about nature, renewal, new starts, health, and freshness.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

When you have been out in the rain or snow, it is dark outside there is nothing quite like walking into a warm home. The ideal temperature is 21 degrees C (or 70 degrees Fahrenheit), this means people will feel the warmth straight away, be inclined to remove hats, gloves, and coats (therefore staying a little bit longer to soak in the property), and they will remember the warmth of the home as they entered. Try not to turn it up too hot though, causing people to sweat will ultimately make them uncomfortable and more likely to leave.

Details

You have tackled the cosy factor, given the place a good clean – what next? Well, it is really all in the details. Metallic finishes tend to look the cleanest and most luxurious, while the softer furnishings that you added in earlier will give the impression the house can be both clean, functional and homely. Coffee table books are a lovely touch. Something classic or intellectual, arts, design or fashion-focused work really well and look beautiful too. You might like to also arrange a selection of books in critical places around the home, like the bedroom. Why? Well, this lends itself to the room being relaxing enough to consume some literature.

Dream a Dream of Summers to Come

While the buyers are currently viewing your home in the dark depths of the winter, you should pay attention to the fact they’ll want to know how the house performs in the summer too. Have a few photos available for them to take a look at, as well as having some pictures of you or your family in the garden perhaps. They need to be able to picture themselves living there in the years to come. If you have a feature like a sunroom that really shines in the summer, them make sure you show it off for what it can be, as well as what it currently is.

Winter Wonderland

While you might consider winter the time that gardening doesn’t need to be done – think again. You’re going to have to head out and get your garden in great shape. It is up to you if you want to hire a professional or if you’d prefer to do it yourself but either way – it needs to be done.

• Trim back all hedges, any hardy bushes, and trees.
• Sweep away all leaves (they pose a trip or slip hazard too)
• Clear gutters
• Mow the lawns
• Tidy the edges of any flower beds or green space

Finally, winter can be some of the best months to sell your home, there are generally fewer houses on the market – yet still plenty of buyers. Meaning you’re far more likely to get the price you want.

*Collaborative post*