Tips for Selling Your Home in Winter
by Brandon Cornett
Most real estate experts agree that
it's best to sell your home during
the warmer months of spring and summer.
For one thing, home buyers with children
will often plan their house hunting
/ home buying process for the summer,
when their children are out of school.
But what if you can't sell your
home during the spring or summer?
What if it's just not in the cards?
Perhaps you cannot afford the home
any more and you need to sell it
fast, regardless of the season. Or
maybe you have a job transfer that
requires you to move during the winter
months.
Whatever the reason, you need not
despair. While there are certain
challenges to selling a home during
winter, they do not by any means
make it impossible. On the contrary,
if you follow the selling techniques
and tips in this article (and the
advice provided by your real estate
agent), you should be able to sell
your home in the winter nearly as
easily as you would in the summer.
Contrast the Cold With the Warmth
Emotions play a big
role in the home buying process.
Granted, the
buyers will be most concerned with
the size of the home, the number
of rooms, and other tangible items.
But "gut" feelings and first impressions
go a long way as well. So even in
the coldest winter months, you can
put this knowledge into practice.
In fact, you can even take advantage
of the winter cold!
The best way to do this is by showcasing
the warmth and coziness of your home.
By doing this, you will create a
favorable first impression that the
buyers will take with them throughout
your house. Let's look at an example
of this concept in action.
Imagine This Realistic Scenario
Local home buyers John and Jane
visit your home while house hunting.
It's cold outside, with wind and
rain on top of that -- the kind of
conditions that make you want to
hunker down someplace warm. John
and Jane open the front door and
enter the home. The house is well
lit and exudes warmth. Candles burn
atop the mantle. A fire crackles
softly in the fireplace. The smell
of gingerbread cookies (recently
baked on offered on a glass plate)
permeates the air.
Doesn't that feel inviting? It will
be the same way for buyers. So just
by showcasing the warmth of your
home, you have increased the likelihood
of selling it. You are creating a
favorable first impression by literally
welcoming the buyers in from the
cold.
You can think about it in terms
of both psychology and physiology.
The first physical impression will
be one of warmth and relaxation,
just as soon as the buyers walk in.
This will lead to a favorable mental
impression as well, and the buyers
will carry this impression with them
through the rest of the home.
Conclusion
Some people will tell you that selling
a home fast during winter is impossible.
We say it depends upon two things
-- (A) the amount of effort you put
into it, and (B) the type of real
estate market you are in. So one
cannot say across the board that
selling a home fast in winter is
impossible. It is a case-by-case
situation. Use the tips provided
in this article, follow the expert
advice of your real estate agent,
and you have every chance of selling
your home during winter!
About the Author: Brandon
Cornett is the publisher of The Staging
Bug, a website that offers home
selling and staging advice for
sellers. For more great tips and
ideas, visit http://www.stagingbug.com.