How to Sell Your Home in the Winter

While spring is traditionally thought to be the prime season for home buying, people buy and sell homes throughout the year. The need to relocate for a new career, health reasons or the urge for new life experiences can happen at any time. Selling a home can be stressful. Add in harsh weather conditions and you’re likely to experience even more stress.

The lawns will have lost their vibrant green and the weather can sometimes be unbearable. And unlike those warm, inviting summer days, you have fewer daylight hours during which to show off your home. Even so, there is hope.

If you were selling your house in the summer or spring, there is likelihood you would address any cosmetic concerns as part of the staging process. The same attention to detail can apply in the winter. Simple upgrades, like tidying up the exterior, driveways and walkways from ice and snow can have a huge cosmetic impact. Carpet in your home should be clean and in good condition. If possible, your home should have a fresh outside coat of paint. Embark on a mission to make your home clutter-free by keeping personal items and photographs out of view.

Your home should exude a feeling of warmth and charm. Allow light to cascade to help subdue the winter chill. When showing your home during daylight hours, open your draperies or blinds. Showing your home during evening hours gives you an opportunity to choose a pleasant combination of floor or table lamps, which can help impart a warm and comforting glow throughout the home.

Emphasize any features that can make your home more attractive to winter buyers, like an attached garage, new water heaters, skylights or efficient energy upgrades. And take advantage of the opportunity to display your home’s charm by providing a photo portfolio. This can include pictures of your home during spring, summer and fall. Images can be an excellent way to share the beauty of your home during any time of year.

No matter how you choose to make your home more salable, stay within your budget and use your credit wisely. Keep warm in the months ahead — and happy selling.

Related:

• Key Factors in Securing a Mortgage


• How Much Home Can You Afford?


• What Really Influences Your Credit Score?

Written by Becky Frost, Senior Manager of Consumer Education for Experian Consumer Services. Experian Consumer Services offers credit monitoring products like freecreditscore.com™, which has resources and calculators that help you understand how credit can impact your life. Credit is an important component when buying, renting or refinancing your home.

This article is provided for general guidance and information. It is not intended as, nor should it be construed to be, legal, financial or other professional advice. Please consult with your attorney or financial advisor to discuss any legal or financial issues involved with credit decisions.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

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