Selling Your Home In Winter

Pittsboro, NC – The temperatures are dropping, the town lights have been switched on and Christmas is definitely approaching. Along with the anticipation of arranging family visits and purchasing gifts, if you are also trying to sell your home it can be a very stressful time.

Good Reasons to Sell During Winter

The market in general tends to slow down over the holidays. Many homeowners pull their houses off the market this time of year do to holiday travels or incoming guests.

There is a lot of pent-up demand in the winter, on both the buyer and seller sides. Sellers have been waiting for a better time to sell. Buyers have been waiting for more quality inventory and a sense that prices have bottomed or are close to it.

As a seller, during the winter months you’ll have a chance to stand out in a thinned-out field of competitors. Also, interest rates are low. So, if there are buyers in our local market, you may be at an advantage selling when most sellers are waiting.

Tips For A Quicker Sale

With the reduced competition and some seasonal opportunities, you can use staging to your advantage. When staging and showing your home during the holiday, you have a chance to show your home at its very best, adorned with warmth and cheer sure to charm.

Fight gloom. Turn on all the lights possible for visitors. This is no time to worry about the electric bill. Open blinds, drapes, and shutters. Make sure to clean any grime off the windows first.

To convey a cozy impression in winter, turn up the thermostat and have a fire in the fireplace for open houses. It will give you an edge over the many vacant homes on the market.

Encourage showings during high daylight hours. Showing after work in the dark isn’t a great idea. Make sure you have enough outside illumination for drive-by visitors. And keep the place well lit even when you’re not there.

And lastly, decorate lightly. Some twinkling lights, a wreath on the front door and green trimmings all around is all you need. A few tasteful holiday decorations are nice. Do not go overboard with cheer. Give the buyer an opportunity to visualize future holidays in the home with their family.