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Is It Possible to Sell a Home in the Winter?
Is It Possible to Sell a Home in the Winter?
A lot of people look at the winter season as an absolutely horrific time of year to purchase a home. Truth be told, it’s not always the most pleasant time of the year, but it’s still possible to sell.
What are the Drawbacks?
You’re fighting a lot in the winter months. First, you have to compete with the holiday season, during which everyone tends to focus on each day and generally not on moving. Then you have the deepest part of the winter to contend with, including bitter cold, ice, and snow. People just don’t want to go out in the dark, especially in dreary conditions.
The Benefits of a Winter Sale
The benefits are, of course, that any buyer you do meet is very likely moving quickly and with purpose. Many winter buyers do so for a reason – a job relocation, a divorce – some sort of need. They don’t tend to have a ton of time to shop around and aren’t interested in prolonging the process.
Believe it or not, the numbers support not waiting until the Spring to put your home on the market. According to the Redfin Research Center, winter listings are 9% more likely to sell, are likely to sell a week faster than other homes, and generally sell for 1.2% more than home sold during other times of the year. That’s huge!
How to Sell Faster in the Winter
You will, of course, need to make some effort to make your home appealing during the winter months. Make sure your home is always well-list, especially since people looking to buy may be visiting after work, when it’s colder. Make sure your driveway and walkways are cleared of snow and are salted to prevent dangerous ice accumulation.
Make sure the inside of your home is warm and inviting as well, and ensure your holiday clutter is carefully put away. A warm, clean home will allow potential visitors to envision themselves living in your space, no matter how dreary it is outside.
Not sure if winter is right for you? Talk to your real estate agent. We can help you decide when and how to list your home and what price points are best.
Why Winter is the Best Time to Sell Your Home
Why Winter is the Best Time to Sell Your Home
A lot of people find winter to be one of the most difficult times to sell a home. Truth be told, the entire winter season, from before the holidays through the end of February, is generally the slowest in the real estate industry. But that doesn’t mean the winter is a bad time to sell your home. The winter months, particularly February, can actually be beneficial to the seller.
Why You Should Sell in the Winter
One of the reasons the winter is considered a difficult time to sell is because there aren’t many buyers. After all, who wants to fight holiday traffic, brave the bitter cold, or slip on ice to view homes? During the colder months, potential buyers are making their plans but most of them aren’t in any real rush to make a purchase. A lot of people will even take their homes off the market in December, allowing their contracts with their showing agents to run out, thinking they’ll get a fresh start in the spring.
But here’s the deal – people who are looking to buy homes during the winter months are usually very motivated. They have a reason they’re moving, even if it’s snowing or the weather just plain stinks. They’re relocating because of a new post or new job; or for some reason that makes a move necessary right now.
According to Redfin, “74% of homes listed in February sold within 90 days, and 13% of them sold for more than the list price.” These buyers need good homes and they don’t have as much to choose from.
Preparing Your Home for a Winter Sale
The need of the buyer doesn’t mean you can slack off with home preparation work, though. Your home needs to look just as inviting as it would during the warmer months, which honestly means a little more effort on your part. Some ideas include:
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Shoveling and salting the walks frequently; for an inviting atmosphere and for safety;
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Make the home look brighter by removing unnecessary window treatments;
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Emphasizing parts of the home that make it appealing in the winter – like an attached garage or a mudroom;
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Emphasize conveniences near the home – close schools, regular plowing and city conveniences, close stores;
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Decorate the home. Even after the holidays, plain wreaths with adornments look much nicer than an empty doorway.
Regular interior staging rules apply, of course. Cleaning and decluttering are important, as are making necessary home repairs. Just know that selling a home during the winter months isn’t impossible, and leaving the home on the market while others are pulling them can up your odds of selling considerably.
