PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR A WINTER SALE

The colder months tend to be a slow time for property sales. People much prefer to settle in at home, wrapped up in a blanket or several layers of jumpers rather than brave the nippy weather outside. Plenty of others decide to leave the country altogether, jetsetters seeking an escape from the chill of winter in warmer climes.

However, for the forward-thinking home seller, all this means is that your real estate will be that much more enticing to those who want to purchase sooner rather than later. Fewer people means fewer listings, and the less competition you have the better chance you get of somebody putting an offer in on your home. However, selling at this time does come with some additional considerations when preparing your home for viewing.

If you want to light a fire under your winter home-selling ambitions, follow these tips!

CONCENTRATE ON THE GARDEN

During the spring, your garden is probably one of the highlights of your property. Gorgeous flowers, buzzing bees, the chance to show off your pool or outdoor seating area – but the winter is obviously very different. All those colourful flowers will be gone, the leaves of your trees too, and if you haven’t gotten round to your property maintenance yet, you may find yourself with all sorts of detritus cluttering up your gutters and lawn.

While there are certainly some plants that thrive during the winter, your best bet is likely simply to keep everything neat and tidy at this point before investing in any additional agricultural accoutrements . Trim back the bushes, clean up any dying branches, and get to work on clearing those leaves.

DON’T SKIMP ON THE HEATING

As humans, we like to think we’re a pretty smart bunch. We’ve got smartphones in our pockets and computer chips in our fridges, but deep down we’re still animals looking for a nice, warm place to rest our heads – and that goes double during the winter months.

While you might be trying to save some cash on heating and wrapping up warm rather than turning the thermostat up, you may find your viewers are not quite as savings-focused. It’s hard to appreciate a fabulously-designed kitchen with all the bells and whistles if your teeth are chattering so loud you can’t hear the real estate agent spruiking it. Do yourself and your viewers a favour: Keep your home toasty during a viewing, and you’ll find that your buyers warm up to the purchase much more easily.

FIGHT AGAINST GRUBBINESS

Whether you live in Sydney, Darwin, Auckland or Perth, there’s one thing the winter months all have in common: Rain, and lots of it. There’s nothing more dampening to the spirit than getting caught in a downpour, but a close second is coming to view a home and discovering the entryway is covered in mud.

Giving your carpets a deep clean should be a standard regardless of the season you sell in, but it becomes even more important in winter. Once you’ve sorted the shampooing and the vacuuming, do everything in your power to avoid any grubby particles making their way into your now-pristine home. Whether it’s a new shoes-off policy at the front door or investing in a temporary mud-mat (carefully stored away before buyers arrive, of course), keep the dirt away and make the right first impression for your buyers.

Tidiness, warmth and cleanliness: these are the keys to selling your home during the winter. Stick of these rules, and of course follow the advice of your real estate agent, and you’ll find your home doesn’t stay frozen on the market!