While it is true that many home shoppers stop looking during the winter months, serious buyers will stick around. Many people are faced with job relocations or a change in their family situation, such as a new baby, an elderly parent moving in or divorce, and they don’t have the luxury of time in their hands. Also, with the anticipated rise in mortgage rates, people want to lock in a good rate. Below are some useful tips that will help you with the sell of your home.
1. The outside of your Home is the first thing people see. Think of it as the “dress” of your home. The outside is often neglected, especially during winter. If a potential home buyer passes by and sees dead leaves on the driveway, untrimmed hedges and an unruly lawn, they will not be curious to want to take a look inside. Also, if you have an area where you usually entertain people in the warm months, leave the decorations and patio furniture out and maybe even add a fire pit to make it feel inviting. Another thing we may forget in the Columbia area, since we don’t get much of it, is snow and ice. If your house is for sale, please make sure that the pathway to your home is safe to walk on. And lastly (before we go inside) make sure the doorbell rings. Although, home buyers will be going in with a Realtor, they still like to test the doorbell.
2. Let there be Light! Your home may appear darker due to less daylight, so you’ll have to do some work to make it look less gloomy. Pull up the blinds, open the curtains and let the light in, unless it shows an undesirable outdoor scenery. In that case only open them partially. Turn on every light in the house, even in the closets, but leave the television and computers off. This is not the time to worry about the electric bill. Check for burnt light bulbs. Replace them and make sure that they are the same color temperature.
3. De-clutter and De-personalize – Clutter makes space look smaller and it’s distracting. Yes, your house may be immaculately clean, but if the potential buyers has to walk sideways to not bump into things, then there’s a problem. If you have over-sized furniture, you may want to consider putting it in storage. Also, remove family pictures from the walls. Instead, you may want to replace them with bright summer pictures or pictures of what the garden and outdoor looks like in the warmer months. You are trying to sell the house, so you need to let the home buyer envision themselves as property owners, not guests.
4. Keep it Warm and Cozy - The temperature inside should feel comfortable. If the house feels cold, the buyer won’t stick around for too long. If you have a fireplace and a scheduled appointment for a home showing, turn it on. Of course, you don’t want to leave it unattended for too long, so use your best judgement on this one.
5. Make Your House Sparkle! Your house should be immaculately clean. Vacuum every day, wax the floors, clean out cobwebs, dust the furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures. And don’t forget to wash the windows (remember you will be pulling up the blinds for lighting). You should also clean the refrigerator and polish the faucets and mirrors. Lastly, empty your trash cans and recycling bins.
6. Set the Mood - There are different things you can do to make your house visually inviting, such as placing a few flower arrangements or green foliage throughout the house. An afghan or throw blanket across the arm of your sofa makes it look cozy. If you have a formal dining room, you could dress it up for a feast, and have a set breakfast tray on the master bed with a tea cup, saucer, napkin and flower. The possibilities are endless!
A very powerful tool when selling your house which is often neglected is music. Turn on some jazz or classical music, not too loud, just enough to uplift the mood. Robert G. Ingersoll said that “Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words”. The truth is, music makes us smile; it excites us and makes us feel happy. Set your songs to random selection so your music will be continuous.
Another powerful tool is the scent of your home. Check out my blog from November 23rd about The Power of Smells when Selling your Home for some great ideas.
7. Don’t Forget to befriend Technology - If you don’t have them, consider purchasing a few timers to plug your indoor lamps. That way, they’ll turn on automatically during the times buyers will be visiting. Also, outdoor motion sensors may come in handy in the evenings since it gets darker sooner during these cold months. And if you still use an answering machine, turn it off.
I hope you got a few new ideas out of this. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a listing presentation, please don't hesitate to contact me.