Winter is coming, but you have found the best mortgage deal and already have a new house picked out. If you do not want to wait too long to sell your home and you are ready to accept offers that come with some caveats, then this might be the right time.
Winter might not be the ideal time to show your house for sale, but you can expect the people who come to be serious buyers. With a few homey touches, you can showcase the best your home has to offer and entice these buyers to put down serious offers.
Light up the House
On the day the buyers come to view your home, open the shutters and pull back the curtains on every window. Turn on your mood and recessed lighting. You want your home to be lit up and inviting when they drive up to the curb.
If you have candles or fairy lights, consider placing them strategically to give a delightful glow to special areas such as the fireplace or a bay window.
Offer a Clean and Clear Path to the Front Door
If it has snowed, then shovel a path from the street to the front door and sprinkle salt on the paving stones. If there is no snow, then sweep the pathway clean. Consider placing colored bricks or gravel to outline the path and make it look even nicer.
This first walk to the front door is when many buyers form their first impression of the house, so you must make sure that it is a pleasant walk.
Do a Winter Time Spring Cleaning
Your home cannot be too clean when you are trying to sell it. Clean it as though you are readying it for a magazine shoot. Clear out cobwebs, dust every surface from furniture to light fixtures, and thoroughly vacuum carpets.
Use bleach to clean out the bathrooms so that they look fresh, and consider applying caulk to the edges of the showers and sinks. Polish every metal siding and all brass handles and make them shine.
Think of Your Home as a Movie Set
Start by removing clutter from around the house. The home should look lived in, but you do not want it to be so clearly your home that potential buyers cannot imagine themselves living in it. Try to arrange it so that each room looks as though it could be the generic rooms you see on TV shows, as this will allow people to imagine themselves putting their personal touch on it.
Add recessed lighting to dark corners and rearrange the furniture so that there is a clear flow from one end of the room to another and throughout the house.
Play Some Music
The right music for an occasion can create a subliminal positive effect on people’s minds. Emotion plays a big role in home-buying decisions, so use the power of music to nudge potential buyers into making serious offers.
Try not to play anything too jarring or obnoxious. You want to create an inviting effect with the music. Choose light classical music pieces for older buyers and lo-fi hip hop for millennial buyers.
Make It Feel Homey
Give your home a ‘homey’ feel by serving snacks and cider. The buyers will form an excellent impression of you and your home if you have snacks waiting for them when they arrive. But do not go overboard. Only serve cookies and finger foods that you can put inside pretty paper cupcake cups. This will reduce the number of crumbs, washing up, and cleaning that you will have to do after the showing.
Focus Your Efforts on Your Favorites
Remember why you bought your home and focus on showing off those qualities. If it is the proximity to a good school zone or to a pleasant park that is kid or dog friendly, make sure to mention this to prospective buyers.
Talk to the buyers who come and find out what they like about your house so that if they do not put down offers, you can add their comments to the list of advantages you tell the next set of buyers.
Remember that unless you highlight your home’s best features, potential buyers will not know what they could be missing. It is in your best interest to sell your house promptly, so work with your realtor as a team.
Realtors will have several ideas on making a home feel desirable to buyers, and if you are willing to work with them, they are sure to give you precious advice. With just a few light touches and some thoughtful changes, you could easily help someone find their new home in your old home.
