Selling Your Home In Winter

In many parts of the country, selling a home during the winter months can be a challenge. Dreary, cold weather and the end-of-the-year holidays can keep buyers away and heighten fears of your home staying on the market longer than expected.  Luckily in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have a relatively mild winter, however, there are a few things you can do to enhance “curb appeal.” And when that happens, buyers will take notice.

Once you’ve settled on an asking price, it’s time to spruce up the interior and exterior of your home. I recommend opening as many curtains as possible to add light and color to rooms. Also, your might try keeping spring and summer pictures of your home out on tables and in clear view. Photos of your front yard flowers or the backyard shade tree in full summer bloom can help swing many buyers in favor of a purchase.

Staying on top of winter maintenance and chores is another sure-fire way of adding value to your home. A neat, manicured walkway will provide a nice first impression as buyers arrive to preview your home. Make sure the furnace is in good working condition and that the room temperature is kept at a comfortable level. Check to see that the basement (if there is a basement) is dry and sealed from any drafts.  Also make sure light bulbs are working in all light fixtures which will provide additional light during the winter months.  Perhaps leaving a few lights on a timer will create an inviting ambiance when buyers first arrive.

Take yourself on a tour of your home. Start on one end and work your way through the house. More than likely you’ll see many previously undiscovered cluttered spaces and needed repairs that might turn off potential buyers.

Don’t overload your home with holiday decorations, either. The buyer should have a chance to see you home in its everyday condition.