How to sell your house in winter.
There is always a seasonal slump of house sales in winter. As warm-blooded mammals it’s in our nature to settle down in a warm and safe spot for the colder months and wait for the burst of energy spring brings. Even those who are house-hunting can, in our experience, find the process quite tiring – viewing multiple properties, getting in and out of the car on a cold and wet day, dealing with winter coats, winter boots; it’s much more tempting just to delay a little, and stay home with a hot drink and Netflix. And, to be honest, houses don’t always present their best selves in the winter months, when the light is mostly flat and grey, gardens are empty and the kerb appeal is less, well, appealing.
Here are our top tips for homeowners seeking to boost the saleability of their home in the winter months.
- Assess, and address, the kerb appeal
Stand in front of your home on a dull afternoon and try to see it through the eyes of potential buyers. Then take some quick and easy steps to enhance the appeal of your home at first sight. Make sure any front garden space is tidy. Clear any fallen leaves, scoop last summer’s plants from the borders and trim back any overhanging shrubs, to reveal any lawn space or paved space there is. Make sure the path, or driveway, to the front door is swept of leaves and mud, and clean the step. If there’s a porch, give that a sweep and a clean too. Visitors don’t tend to notice cleanliness, but they do register muck and dirt. Nip to your local garden centre and invest in a pot filled with winter flowers – the bright colours of winter-flowering pansies or primroses will make a welcome sight for visitors. Door wreaths are becoming a year-round trend, too, so consider purchasing one made with fake spring flowers to add some pretty colour at eye-level. You can take it with you, so it’s not an expense, but an investment. You could even make your own, with pieces found on Amazon – it would be one way to spend an otherwise dull winter’s afternoon!
- Light it up
Dull winter days don’t do a great deal for anybody or anything, which includes the rooms in your home. Make sure you’ve nailed the ambient lighting in every room. Don’t simply flick on the overhead light, before every viewing, switch on the table lamps and floor lamps in your sitting room, the wall lights in your dining room, and bedside lamps. This way, you can push open every door and the room is immediately inviting. Add a couple of candles, too, One in the hallway, and one in the kitchen or living room. Choose soft, light scents, nothing too bold. You don’t want viewers sneezing their way around your home.
- Make it cosy.
Throw a knitted throw across the sofa, add fleece throws to the end of beds – and pop the heating on. We know at this time we’re keeping a close eye on the bills, but a cold house won’t appeal to anybody.
- Get on top of any little DIY tasks
Little things, like stained grout in the bathroom, or chipped paint in doorways or on skirting boards, or a slightly sagging curtain, can be off-putting. They may be an easy fix, but why should the buyer have that to look forward to? No excuses – buy those necessary curtain hooks now!
- Smarten up your rear garden
It’s a rare garden that looks good in winter, but every garden can at least look tidy. Clear the beds of dead plants, deadhead the roses, mow or blow dead leaves off the lawn, and clean the patio or decking of blown-on leaves or moss from the roof. Set up the patio furniture as if it were summer, and be sure to drop into conversation how much time you spend out there in summer. If you have photos, leave them out to show. People’s imaginations only stretch so far…
- Finally, create a warm and welcoming space in the room people love best in winter – the kitchen.
Take care with your choice of meals to cook on days when viewings are booked; you don’t want powerful smells to put people off. If you have to take the dog for a walk before a viewing, ask a friend if you can leave him or her with them afterwards, or make sure paws are clean and the coat is dry before allowing it back into the house – wet dog is a fragrance nobody loves, even dog lovers. Cleat the surfaces down, but pop a book or homework neatly on the table or breakfast bar. Make some coffee, bake a cake or warm some scones – let people know this is a place people gather! It’s not sneaky, it’s a demonstration of what makes your house a home. A home they will want for themselves.
Eddie – Friday 13th October 2022 – (Picture used from Beaumont Road, Chorlton).
