One of the most difficult tasks a realtor must surmount is making a cold, wet, wintery home look appealing to prospective home buyers. Ascendant Title of Colorado wants to help lighten the load with these tips for using winter weather to your advantage.
Maintain Walkways
The last thing a buyer wants to deal with is slipping on the sidewalk while trying to get to your client’s house. Keeping the driveway and paths to the door clear should be a top priority. If your client is willing and able, talk to him about keeping the pathways shoveled after a snowstorm and the salted when the temperature drops below freezing. If he can’t maintain the pavement himself, consider contracting a snow removal service to maintain it for you.
Use Lights
There are a limited number of daylight hours during winter, but the sunlight that does come through can be used to its full potential. If there’s snow on the ground, the light reflects off it and can appear brighter than in the summer. There are also fewer leaves to block the windows. This makes showing homes during the daytime especially important, just be sure to have the blinds open and windows cleaned to maximize the light allowed inside.
However, if you can’t or if you feel there’s not enough light, outdoor lights can be an effective supplement. Try placing lights to highlight the aspects of the home you know are the best sellers. For example, if the house has vintage shutters in good condition, position lamps so the direct light hits the shutters themselves, basically making a spotlight to this selling point.
Highlight the Season
After the holidays, the Christmas and Chanukah decorations should come down, but that doesn’t mean the house has to be bare. Winter wreaths and dried flower arrangements are tied to winter, not the holidays, so can add both color and charm to a home through the cold months. Things such as stones, lanterns, and antique flower pots don’t need sunlight to grow, but add a fantastic feel to a home.
Additionally, some perks of the house may not be apparent until winter. Fewer leaves means that windows tend to have a less obstructed view. Snowy weather can emphasize nearby winter wonders, such as ski resorts, parks, and other areas that flourish during the winter months. By making the house attractive and discussing the proximity to these attractions, buyers may actually be more drawn to a home during the winter.
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