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Summary: Are you thinking of putting your home up on the market this winter? If so, you may want to take steps to give its esthetics a boost to help impress the masses of buyers out there. This article will outline a few tips to make that happen.
Real estate agents will tell you that it can be harder to sell a Washington home in the winter. The days are colder and shorter, leaving less time to show a home to potential buyers. Plus, the frigid temperatures and snow can make it more difficult to stage your home’s exterior and showcase its true beauty.
The good news, though, is that most buyers looking at houses in the winter aren’t just killing time. They’re serious enough about finding a new home to house hunt at a time when most people might rather stay inside.
Buyers looking for a home to purchase in the winter are not usually tire kickers that are spending their lazy warm days checking out homes. Instead, they tend to be more apt to have their head in the game and find a home sooner rather than later. As such, selling your home in the winter can be a good thing.
Besides, you might have less competition to deal with, as many sellers tend to wait until the spring to list their home on the market.
That said, it’s still a good idea to take steps to get your home ready for showing to impress all the prospective buyers that visit. There are several steps you can take to make a good impression on home buyers this winter.
First, if there’s snow or ice on the ground, make sure walkways are safe. Spread out ice melt or sand to provide traction during snowy weather. Shovel the snow on the driveway and sidewalks to make your Washington home more inviting. Be sure to place a mat on which for visitors to wipe their feet.
Second, warm up the house. Buyers will remember the house that was pleasantly warm on a frigid day. This also demonstrates to buyers that your furnace is in good working order.
Next, to make a “welcoming scent”, bake cookies the day of the showing. Some people are sensitive to the fragrances in air fresheners and perfumes, so skip spraying those when expecting someone to look at your house.
You can also serve snacks in the kitchen. Give the buyer a reason to linger in your home by leaving a light snack in the kitchen. If the weather is cold, consider providing chili or soup in a crock-pot to keep it warm with festive disposable bowls. Or, to keep it simple, you can provide coffee or hot chocolate and cookies.
Make good use of exterior lighting to showcase your home in its best light and to provide functional lighting as the days get shorter and the darkness sets in earlier.
Lastly, to make your house appear warm and inviting during cold winter months, turn all the lights in the house on; place warm-toned throws and decorator pillows around the living room. Play soothing classical or jazz music; keep the volume low enough that buyers can talk quietly to each other.
These techniques each can help your home seem more inviting this winter. Try one, or try them all to help impress buyers and increase the odds of getting a great offer before the holidays set in!
Sammamish Mortgage is a local, family-owned company based in Bellevue, Washington. We serve the entire state, as well as the broader Pacific Northwest region that includes Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon. We offer a wide variety of mortgage programs and products with flexible qualification criteria and have been helping borrowers since 1992. Please contact us if you have mortgage-related questions.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.