Get Real: Selling in colder months

Posted by Beth Alois on January 9, 2013

While the warmer months are generally regarded as the time for home sellers to get their property ready for sale, marketing the home in winter and early spring is just as important. Homebuyers are out looking for homes 12 months a year in the Chadds Ford area and there’s no reason to drop the ball on sprucing up a home January through March.

Here are some tips for selling a home in the winter months.

Heat it up: If you are planning an open house or have showings scheduled, turn up the thermostat and make the home warm and inviting. A cold home shopper will race through a house and start questioning the windows and insulation.

Light it up: For homes with fireplaces this is the perfect opportunity to show the potential buyer how cozy a fireplace can be. If you have a gas fireplace and your agent will be at the showing, ask him to have it turned on. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, pile up a few logs and place flameless candles in front of them to hint at the glow of a real fire.

Take care of snow and ice: Here in the Brandywine Valley we have occasional snow accumulations. Make sure that the walkway is clear and the driveway is shoveled. Put down salt to control any icy surfaces. If buyers pull up to the house and have to slush through inches of snow, they may not even bother to enter. If you are not living in the house you are selling, make sure to hire someone to clear it for you.

Use photographs: If you have a beautiful lawn, stellar landscaping or an outdoor pool or deck, many times these are quickly overlooked or passed by because of the bleak winter weather. Take some eye-catching photos of these amenities during the warm months and display them during a winter showing. Buyers can get a better understanding of what the outside truly offers.

Schedule Open Houses: There are still many who don’t believe that selling in the winter is a good idea, so it’s a great time to take advantage of less competition. Many serious buyers often come out during the winter months, including corporate clients who often need to relocate within the first quarter of the year.

Emphasize the Positives: Does your street get plowed quickly by the township or the home owners association? Does it have a great hill for the kids to sled down in a safe environment? If so, accentuate these features.

Since a lot of people are waiting until spring to put their home on the market, having a home ready in winter is a great way to beat the rush. It’s a good time to talk with your Realtor to get more marketing ideas for selling your home.

* Jim DeFrank and Beth Alois can be reached at 610-388-3700. Prudential Fox & Roach is an independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.