When it comes to selling your home, you have more opportunities in the winter than you may have thought. With online technology and less competition on the market, a winter home sale is easier than ever. To help you decide if it is the right season for you, we have rounded up a few tips for selling your home in winter.
From staging to 3D home tours, we have rounded up everything you need to know to get your home sold quickly. Here is your go-to guide to selling your home in winter.
Benefits of Selling in the Winter
While winter is not traditionally thought of as the peak real estate season, it is proving to be a busier one than ever before. Selling in the winter also comes with several surprising benefits worth considering. Let us dive into some of the benefits below.
1. You Have Motivated Buyers
If you are looking for a home in the winter, you are probably pretty motivated to move. As a seller, this is a major advantage. Motivated buyers want to closer faster and will pay top dollar.
Many people think that buyers will not want to move during the school year. In reality, over half of the home buyers today do not have children at home under the age of 18. This means most buyers do not need to move in the summer.
If you are moving in the winter, you are likely doing so because of a big life event, a job change, or to take advantage of a slower real estate season.
2. Less Competition on the Market
In the spring and summer, the market is flooded with homes for sale. This often means it is a buyer’s market. Homebuyers will have several houses to choose from when they start house hunting.
In the winter, there are also fewer homes for sale. This means your home has a greater chance of standing out.
3. Tax Benefits
Some home buyers like to take advantage of the tax benefits that come with selling in the winter. You will be able to close on your home before the year ends. This gives you a nice tax bump in some cases before December.
Make the Most of Your Online Listings with 3D Tours
In the winter, utilizing online showing tools is even more critical. With harsh, cold weather, more people are looking at homes online. If your listing has a 3D home tour, potential buyers will not need to brave the cold and drive around going to open houses.
3D home tours also act as virtual open houses as well. If there is a sudden blizzard or negative temperature day, anyone can view your home from the comfort of their couch. A 3D tour is like being there in person.
Your home will have 3D floor plans to showcase each room and level of your home. Buyers can zoom in and move around and take their time viewing your home. The buyers that request to see your home in person tend to be more serious and qualified buyers.
To help your home sell faster, utilize this technology. Make sure your professional photos are great as well. The more you can show online, the quicker your home will sell.
Working with a company like Hommati means that you have access to tools like the 3D home tour. They have photographers who are equipped with the proper equipment to capture each space with a clear and HD view.
Stage Your Home
When you think of staging, you might be seeing dollar signs. This is not always the case. Staging is simply getting your home ready to show.
Staging your home without a professional can be done by streamlining your belongings and rearranging. If you are currently using your dining room as an office, stage it as a dining room again for the 3D home tour and showings.
Rearrange your furniture to help buyers picture themselves living there. To help neutralize your home, re-paint and consider low-cost updates.
New bedding, towels, and window treatments are inexpensive ways to update your home without spending a lot of money. This will give your home an updated, refreshed look.
If your house ends up being vacant, whether it be your furniture is in storage or you are moving into your new house, virtual staging is another option that can be done to make your house look as though it is professionally staged without cost of actually staging your house.
Companies like Hommati offer those resources to people as well and have a team of skilled individuals who can turn photographs of empty rooms into fully furnished and decorated living spaces.
De-Clutter and Purge
When people view your home virtually or in person, they do not want to see your clutter. Purging is one of the best things you can do to help your home sell. A buyer cannot see all of the pretty details your home has if all they see is stuff.
Make sure to go around and consolidate your stuff. De-clutter, purge, sell, and donate anything you are not taking with you. While garage sales are tough in the winter, you will still be able to box things up for later or look at selling them online.
In the winter, it is especially hard to show a home with little children and pets. Their stuff tends to be everywhere, and they are cooped up inside. This is where a 3D home tour is a great resource.
When your home is on the market, keep clutter in-check with pretty storage baskets, and easy-to-use organization.
Go Easy Around the Holidays
If you are selling your home around the holidays, it is easy to get carried away with holiday decorations. While you want to showcase the season and make your home feel cozy, be careful not to overdo it.
People love the whimsy of the holidays. Some lights, neutral holiday décor, and festive touches will help people picture their own holidays in your home. Too much of something can be overwhelming.
Take a step back and only put out a third of your decorations. Focus on the front yard, front door, and a fireplace if you have one. These are places people will notice and expect festive touches without them being distracting.
Don’t Forget Curb Appeal
Just because there are not spring flowers blooming does not mean you cannot boost your curb appeal in the winter. Your front door and front yard are still your first chance to make a good first impression.
Help your home stand out by doing some freshening up in the winter. Get rid of old, dead plants, shovel your walkways, and increase your lighting. Light up trees, landscaping, and your front door as much as possible.
Lighting will help your home stand out and show better on dark winter nights. You can also use evergreen branches or faux boxwood planters to add some greenery that will not die out.
Painting your front door and getting a new entryway mat are inexpensive ways to give your home a boost as well. Do not forget to clear your driveway and shovel on snowy showings.
Make Your Home Feel Cozy
When people are out looking at homes in the winter, it can be cold. Show buyers how cozy your home is. Light the fireplace, turn on lamps, and bake some cookies.
The cozier your home feels when they come to see it, the more inviting it is. Buyers will be able to picture themselves getting cozy in the winter, because you have taken advantage of your space and made it warm and welcoming for everyone coming through.
Snow, Rain, and Winter Gear
When you are showing your home in the winter, make sure your winter gear also has a home. Reorganize your mudroom or add a coat rack and hooks to an entryway. When you have showings, put away your stuff so the entry is clear.
When people come to see your home, they do not want to see wet boots and mittens all over the floor. Give them a nice entryway so that they can see all the space and storage your home has.
If you do have a showing on a winter day, offer people umbrellas or individually wrapped, new slippers. These small touches will not go unnoticed. They will also help keep snow off your floors.
Winter Moving Tips
Just because you are selling your home in the winter does not mean you have to move then. Depending on when your house sells, you can choose a 45 or even 60-day closing to push your move until the spring.
If you are looking to store things until you move, self-storage is typically less expensive in the winter as well. You can rent a storage unit, pods, or containers at a lower cost than the peak of the summer moving season.
Anything you pack and store to declutter will be already packed and ready to move to your new home. Your house will have less stuff and more clean space to show potential buyers.
Tips for Selling Your Home in the Winter
Winter is a great opportunity to sell your home. With fewer homes on the market and more people searching online, you do not want to overlook this season. These tips for selling your home will help you move sooner and for top dollar.
In the winter, taking advantage of 3D home touring technology is key. More people will see your home without the hassle of winter conditions.
When you are ready to speak with a professional about 3D touring or selling your home, fill out the contact form here.