Houso

Spring and autumn are undeniably the busiest months in the housing market. Whatever the reasoning behind this, do not let it put you off delving in the winter property market. Putting your home up for sale in the winter provides you with the added advantage of less competition. People buy homes all-year-round, so do not panic, there will be interest and offers! The team at Houso would like to offer you some tips that may enhance your chances of selling your home this winter.

The first step to selling your home is to do a… winter clean! Your motivation for tidying and gardening may be understandably very low in the cold weather. However putting in a little hard work will help your home look inviting and attractive whatever the weather.

Clean your gutters and drain covers from leaves and any other muck. Dirty gutters and pipes aren’t pretty and can lead to damage. Cover any of your garden furniture or hide it away in a shed, mow the lawn and do some weeding. Have a look around your local garden centre, see if a staff member can suggest any pretty all-seasons plants and shrubbery that will make your gardens look nicer. When you have finished tidying your garden, make sure that all of your pathways aren’t slippery – you don’t want your viewers sliding around or having an accident, this can put them off buying the property.

Days can be dull in the winter. To brighten up your home and make it look more positive and appealing, you can install some outdoor lighting. Even something as simple as a security light can illuminate the front of your home so that viewers can have a better look.

Now onto your interior, make sure any problems that are prominent during winter, such as any damp or faulty boilers are repaired or sorted out before putting your home up for sale. If Halloween or Christmas are nearing, there’s no excuse not to have decorations up! This will make your home look increasingly ‘homely’.  Also, people generally love decorations and the festive feel. Just try to be tasteful with the decorations and don’t make rooms looked overly cramped.

Before you put your home up for sale, you may want to just double-check the estate agent’s opening hours over the Christmas period. Potential buyers may be highly active around Christmas time if they are off work. So, ideally, you want your agent to be open for as long as possible. Alternatively, on Houso we invite your to sell you home yourself – self-list your property, and be in control of managing your messages, viewing, and offers. This means that you can take viewings and message potential buyers even if the rest of the world is on holiday.

In a previous blog, we suggested that during viewings, that you should open up all of your blinds and curtains. However, during the winter this may not help to brighten your home up all that much. One option is changing your interior bulbs to higher wattages. If you are really struggling for light, simply washing your windows can increase the amount of natural light that enters your home – and of course, clean windows offer viewers the impression your home is well-maintained.

Just as it is important to keep your home bright, it is also very important to keep it warm. Make your home feel cosy for all viewers that step through your door. Turn on every radiator in your home, and if you have a fire, then light it. Whilst we are on the subject on heating, we would like to remind you that if your home is empty, to put your boiler on a timer to keep the heating ticking over and prevent pipes from freezing. For that extra cosy feel, why not light a few candles to not only brighten your home but also make it smell amazing to hit the viewers with a positive atmosphere across all senses!