Nine times out of ten, it seems that Halloween brings Colorado the first snowfall of the year. With the night of spookiness just around the corner, temperatures have been dropping and morning frosts have been making appearances on windshields. WINTER IS COMING and for anyone who is selling their home during these chilly months, extra precautions need to be taken to ensure that a home on the market still looks great with a snowy covering. Potential buyers want to know that the home they are purchasing will be a safe haven from the cold and not a breezy shack. However, it can be hard to know what to keep up so that the house looks presentable so here are four Important Preparations for Winter Home Selling.
Shoveling
If you’ve lived through a Colorado winter, you’ve shoveled some snow, even if it was just off your car. Unfortunately, when selling your home in the snowflake months, keeping your home clear of snow is more important. Don’t just rely on ice melt. Break out the snowblower or put some elbow grease into a snow shovel. Very few potential buyers want to wade through knee deep drifts just to get to the front door.
Don’t stop with the driveway and front walk, however. It’s important to keep the back patio or deck clear as well so that, as they wander through, buyers can see what they will be enjoying in warmer times and the whole backyard. Bottom Line: Piles of snow where you walk make the home seem unkempt and uncared for, if only sub-consciously.
Ice Dams
While icicles dripping from the roof gives a classically winter look, they also mean the you have water backing up in the gutters and will probably have breaks and damage once the temperature rises and the spring storms hit. Take a few hours before the thermometer really sinks to wash any last remnants of autumn leaves and branches out so that everything flows smoothly. If you do notice ice buildup, run to your local home improvement store and ask for the best solution for your situation.
Decorations
Whether or not you usually put up decorations for the holidays, wrapping the gift of a new home for someone is a great idea. Decorations give a homey, comfortable feel as long as they are kept at a tasteful and classy level. No “Clark Griswold”-ing with ten tons of lights that make the meter spin like a top. Even if you normally pull out all the Christmas light stops, keep the ornamentation subtle and low key.
Toasty Warm
As the temperature drops outside, the power bill usually rises warming the inside. To combat this, many people keep their homes a little cooler and throw on another pair of socks. When you have buyers coming by, however, this won’t work. Prospects want to walk out of the cold winter air and into a warm inviting home and so, when you have the possibility of visitors, turn up the thermostat. If you have a fireplace, fire it up for a welcoming feel. Remember that you want the buyer to feel as though this is their new home, not your old one. Besides, you’ll recoup the extra heating cost when you sell.
Fortunately, prepping your home for a winter sale isn’t all that complicated. It might take a bit of labor, but by following these 4 tips (along with other basic house selling steps), you will attract buyers quickly and, hopefully, be somewhere warm when the big snows hit!
Feel free to call True Performance Real Estate today and ask any questions you might have about Preparing your Home for Winter Home Selling.
Call: 303-317-6311