Selling a house during a Canadian winter can be a bit more difficult than during the warmer months for both parties involved due to various reasons. Not only is it cold and icy, making the act of moving unappealing, winter weather conditions (snow and dirty slush) can make photography harder by leeching the colour out of photos and making the landscape look dirty. However, there are a variety of ways homeowners can boost their chances of selling quickly and at asking price during the depths of winter.
First of all, keeping the driveway, sidewalk, front walkway and porch, as well as the back porch or deck clear of snow is a small step that can make a big difference. If you are thinking of selling. Making sure to clear away snow soon after it falls will keep ice from building up in the first place and will make it easier to maintain throughout the winter as you have showings. Having well-cleared pathways will make the whole exterior of the house look much cleaner, especially during periods of snow-melt when everything is brown and slushy.
Furthermore, in terms of photography, there are also a few ways you can brighten up the pictures with some small touches. A warmly-coloured wreath, as well as a bright welcome-mat by the front door are a good start. If you are open to repainting your front door, a warm colour will add interest and make the photos stand out from the rest. One step further that can make a big difference in the winter is to clean the exterior of the windows and the garage door, as well as cleaning the siding and trim around the areas that will be most visible during showings. In terms of interior decorating during winter months, it is best to stick with furnishings that evoke feelings of warmth and coziness. For example, thick blankets, cozy landscape paintings, and warm-toned furniture are all good basics for decorating to sell during the winter.
Finally, make sure to highlight the features of the house that are most useful in cold weather. If your home has heated floors, make sure they are on and noticeable when people come for showings. Replace lightbulbs with warm-toned bulbs, and make sure you have every light on when people come to look at the house. This will make the house feel a lot bigger and warmer, even if the showing is during the day. Making sure that the seals around windows and doors, as well as attic insulation are in good condition will keep out any drafts, and make sure the furnace is turned up just a bit! This may seem like it isn’t highlighting anything, but even small drafts will be noticeable, and having everything sealed and the house feeling nice and toasty will highlight how comfortable the home can be during the coldest parts of the year.
Small details can make a major difference when selling, especially during the winter. People want to look at lower numbers of houses because of the cold, so having bright and welcoming photos is a must. Once they decide to see the home in person, it needs to be as comfortable as possible, so they can picture themselves weathering the cold in that space. Paying attention to these aspects will make it easier to sell in winter weather.