The winter real estate market is here. The holidays are upon us. There is cheer and joy everywhere! But for sellers, November and December can be the slowest months of the year to sell a home. If you are selling at this time, you want to do everything to attract a buyer. Here are some worthy tips for attracting those winter home buyers.
1. Clean Up the Yard / Create Holiday Curb Appeal
The green is gone, flowers are dead, and leaves are scattered everywhere.
You want to ensure that first impression, your front lawn, presents an appealing neat, and tidy home. Clean up the yard, rake up the dead leaves and debris, remove the overgrown vegetation, and trim the bushes and tree limbs to let the sun inside. Remove those summer vines and dead flowers. Make the most of the current warm weather to create the best curb appeal.
Get mums and marigolds. Both bloom for a long time, and are available in yellow, a number one home-selling color. Plant them in pots on the steps and along the sidewalk. Accent with holiday-themed colors.
Summer rains and wind make your windows dusty and streaked. Kids’ handprints and normal noses smug the glass. Wash your windows inside and out, remove screens, and make your windows sparkle.
2. Turn on the Lights / Dress the Windows, Use Bright Colors
The sun sets lower and casts wider shadows as days get shorter. Add lamps as needed and use bright bulbs. Open the blinds, push back the drapes, and turn on every light. Brighten darker rooms with spotlights on the floor behind furniture.
Accessorize with bright red, orange, and/or golden yellow pillows. Toss a quilt or holiday-themed throw over a chair. Bring in bold-colored accents in groups of threes and fives.
3. Clean Out the Fireplace / clean & service HVAC.
Nothing smells of holiday cheer quite like a fire in the fireplace. Light your gas fireplace when buyers come through if you have one. Make it warm and inviting.
Make sure you get your fireplace and HVAC serviced every year to prevent any major problems from occurring!
4. About Those Bathrooms
Give the whole bathroom a good cleaning! get rid of all these mildew marks in the bath or shower, make sure there is no water residue on your glass shower doors, and place fresh towels to make the bathroom look more inviting. Buyers are especially focused on mildew and mold in older bathrooms so do your best to remove those stains!
5. Prepare Holiday Edibles
Set out freshly baked pumpkin cupcakes, simmer some hot apple cider on the stove, or bake a fresh batch of cookies. Put a tray of cinnamon sticks on the counter. Prop open a cookbook of holiday recipes. Fill a bowl with crisp red apples.
6. Set the Mood With Music
Create a calming atmosphere, encouraging people to relax and feel like they are home.
7. Offer Parting Treats
Leave tiny packets of holiday candies or cookies. It slows the buyers down, gives them a break in the hectic holiday season, and invites them to have a seat and absorb the comfortable mood of your home. This will help the buyer feel like your home could be their next home.
Kyle Alfriend has been selling homes for over 35 years, successfully assisting over 3,000 clients buying, selling, or investing in real estate.
For more tips on selling your home in the winter, or for a personal consultation, contact Kyle Alfriend, at (614) 395-1776, or info@AlfriendGroup.com