Although many homeowners choose to wait until warmer months to put their house on the market, you might be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t consider selling your Lake George house during the winter. There are actually several advantages to selling a home this season, and it can be easier than you might expect.
Here are some tips, tricks, and things to know to get those offers rolling in before spring:
1) Less Competition Means More Serious Buyers
During the summer months, you may run into potential buyers who are essentially browsing, and are not in a hurry to transition to a new home. But it’s a different market in the winter!
Many home buyers during this time are searching because of a job relocation, which may mean that they need to move sooner rather than later. And, those looking to buy a house during this time will find a “low to no inventory” of homes on the market. With fewer options available, they need to be serious about the houses they look at.
2) Showcase What the Home Looks Like in the Summer
Just because you don’t currently have a lush green lawn and hanging plants on the porch doesn’t mean you can’t illustrate to others how your home and property look during the warmer months. Make sure to include photos of the house in the listing, and even inside the home as well. This can be done with a tasteful photo album or binder on display, or with a digital picture frame.
3) Lighting Is Your Friend – Inside & Out
Make use of as much light in the house as you can, ensuring windows are clean to let the sun in, flameless candles are lighting up dark areas, and that the outside is well-lit as well, possibly adding lights to a pathway or entranceway. Remember that the sun rises later and sets earlier in the winter!
4) Curb Appeal Still Matters
Helping with the preparation and staging of the home for sellers is one of my passions! In addition to conducting extensive research to determine the right listing price, my services include advising on how to best showcase the home. The outside is imperative, because buyers start forming opinions the moment they pull up in front of the house.
For winter, this means putting away seasonal outdoor furniture that may be covered in snow, ensuring sidewalks and pathways are shoveled and clear, and evergreen or winter plants could be a nice touch as well. With regards to storing that outdoor furniture – remember that prospective buyers will walk through your garage or basement, so store things cleanly and carefully.
5) Clean, Clean, Clean!
Houses in general tend to get dirtier in the winter, with boots dragging in snow and slush, and folks spending more time indoors. Consequently, cleaning a house for a showing is even more important in the winter than in other seasons. Tackle everything from dust on lamps to salt stains on the floors. On a related note, make sure there is a mat and/or shoe covers for people coming in to see the home.
6) Show Off Everything Energy Efficient About the House (And Keep It Warm!)
Now is the time to point out the warm fireplace, the recently upgraded HVAC system, solar panels, or anything energy efficient that will prove a huge advantage during colder months. In fact, it’s even recommended to set the heat a degree or two higher than normal before showing a home, or if you have a fireplace, you might have it let for showings.
Part of what I do is help sellers to identify which elements or special features of the house need to be highlighted. You want to show off all the best features you can, whether that’s energy-efficient windows that can cut down on heating and cooling costs, or a dedicated laundry room, that you might not think twice about, but a potential buyer may have high on their list.
7) Be Super Flexible With Showings
Fewer buyers on the market means you need to make yourself available for the ones who are interested. You may be more likely than in the summer to have to move a showing due to weather factors, or even something like scheduling issues with children, who may have snow days or are on winter break.
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