Kristen von Bargen’s California’s Real Estate Blog: Selling Your House in the Winter
It’s no secret that the most popular time to list your house has traditionally been during the spring or summer, but if you are selling your house in the winter, there are buyers! (Think: “Open your house and they will come!”)
The lack of inventory and consistant draw of the Bay Area has made for pent up demand. Still, it’s important keep a few things in mind when you are selling your house in the winter, such as:
Stage your house. Follow these tips that Cora Sue Anthony, of HGTV, shared with me about remodeling and staging. No matter what the temperature is outside, the inside of your home needs to look fabulous. Better Homes and Gardens recently reported that a staged home sells in 13.8 days, on average, compared to 30.9 days if it isn’t staged.
Stage your house on the outside, too! While spring can be the most beautiful time to list your house – the grass is greener and flowers are in full bloom – with a little work (and a lot of pots filled with gorgeous flowers!), you can make your yard look just as beautiful as it would in May. Don’t forget that when you are selling your house in the winter Californians are indoor/outdoor living fiends, and outdoor space remains a huge draw for most everyone.
Set a reasonable price. It used to be that people who shopped over the holidays and in the dead of winter were more often investors and bargain hunters, but lately it seems everyone is on the lookout for the right property! It’s imperative to be realsitic and work closely with your Realtor to set an enticing price in order to bring you the best return – at any time of year!
Minimize odors – particularly those of your furry loved ones. We tend to have our doors and windows closed more often in the winter so must be extra careful about eliminating all unpleasant smells. While I am a diehard animal lover and wouldn’t mind seeing dog toys on the floor, many buyers are not like me and are very turned off by any animal smells. Also, rooms can get stuffy and overheated with the heater blasting. Better a bit crisp and fresh smelling than hot and stuffy. We don’t want anyone dozing off during an open house or anything.
Maximize lighting. Natural light is scarce in the winter, so it’s important to go the extra mile and make your house as bright and cheerful as possible. The simplest thing is to increase wattage on your current bulbs, but there are a variety of other tricks to make your house appear more sunny.
Put up a lot of mirrors. We all know mirrors makes spaces in your home look larger. In the winter it’s particularly important to make use of them because they also make a space look brighter. Positioning the mirror next to a light source will reflect even more light into the room.
Please feel free to contact me if you want more information on any of these tips or have questions about selling your home in the winter.