Selling in autumn and winter
If autumn/winter is the time you’ve decided to list your house to sell, be upbeat about it. Sure, temperatures are dropping, and day light hours are shortening – maybe your garden’s not even looking at its prettiest – but there are still plenty of buyers out looking.
A home must be priced right to attract buyers, but it is also vital to maintain its street appeal or buyers may simply drive away without making an enquiry or setting foot inside.
Address the gardens and landscaping. Present them as best you can for the time of year. At the very least, you don’t want the property to appear poorly maintained.
Rake up the leaves, cut back dead plants and nurture the perennials. Look for winter-flowering plants and make good use of pots especially around the front entrance area.
Potential buyers notice the overall condition of a property. It’s a good idea to repair broken windows, for example. Have an honest look at what other factors might be making the house look tired, faded and dirty and see if there’s something that can be done to turn this perception around.
Repainting your home can make an incredible difference, but it is also an expense you may not want to go to.
And it doesn’t matter which season you are selling in remove clutter and rearrange artwork and furniture to best showcase your home.
Many experienced agents will recommend de-personalize the home as much as possible when you are attempting to sell, which means removing family photos, awards and other memorabilia. The festive season is long past so the decorations will have been packed away. Over-use of decorations has been known to put buyers off and make it difficult for them to fully appreciate the features of the home itself.
At this time of year, when natural light may be less abundant, keep the home as bright as possible. Let daylight stream in through clean windows and have the interior well-lit, cheery and welcoming for evening opens.
Minor works, minor improvements and staging a property are simple solutions that can tip the balance in your direction, making your home much more appealing to the buyers who are walking in your door.
Some say winter buyers are more serious. Whether this is true or not, a serious buyer is always likely to respond best to a well-prepared property, so sellers do themselves a real service by maximising the sales appeal of their home.