5 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME THIS WINTER!

You might be wondering if winter is a bad time to sell your home, but people look for property to buy at all times of the year.

In fact, selling your house in winter can even have its own benefits. We thought it valuable to share our 5 tips for selling your home in winter and make sure that you will keep the price hot, despite the weather being cold.

1. Make Sure It Is Ready For Warm Living

The spring selling season is traditionally where activity bursts at the seams in the housing market, but the shortfall in winter stock makes it a prime opportunity for you.

Start by making your home cosier. After all, no matter the season, selling a home is all about appealing to peoples emotions - you want your prospective buyers to fall in love with your property. Make sure it is warm when people come to inspect it. Turn the heaters on, and if you have a fireplace, make sure it is going.

Add a warm touch to each of your rooms by placing a winter coloured throw rug over the back of a sofa, or put coloured doona covers at the end of the beds to help create a warm and welcoming feel. Another idea is to change your cushion covers to a colour more suited to winter. This can help change the whole feel of a room and make it cosier for your potential buyers.

2. Keep Your Home Clean

Spending time making sure every part of your home is clean is important no matter what time of the year you sell. However, it is even more important with the added muck that comes in on dirty winter shoes and wet clothes.

Keep floors clean and ensure all dirty family gear is hidden away, so people inspecting your property can't see it. And of course, clear away any leaves that have fallen off the trees - a tidy front garden helps set the right tone for an inspection.

3. Make The Most Of The Great Outdoors

Don't forget about the great outdoors. Spend time and give your garden a simple makeover by adding defining borders to your flower beds. Timber borders are popular. You can also outline your beds with small shrubs or grasses. Add a few larger plants as focal points but keep them in proportion to the size of your garden. As a finishing touch, add some flowering plants as it will make your home much more welcoming.

Show your buyers how they could use your home's outdoor space all-year-round. How about adding a fire pit or heaters, or even a pizza oven to show how easy it is to entertain. Add some warm winter throws over your outside chairs to help bring colour to the area and make it more appealing. Buyers love more living options, and the outside area is an ideal extra space.

4. Brighten The Space

Another tip for selling your home in winter is to brighten the space. Light will be just as important as heat when it comes to selling your home for more in winter. Maximise the daylight in the home, and you will also be able to boast that your home's energy bills are enticingly low. Natural light is an incredibly attractive prospect for any house hunter. Having drapes and windows that let the sunshine in across an entire room is a great way to boost appeal. Keeping lights on at open for inspections is also essential in winter.

Shuffling furniture and perhaps even widening windows can give you this effect if you have the time and budget for it. Make sure it is done right with the appropriate glazing or curtains or you might end up dealing with a glare that can put buyers off.

5. Show Off Your Home's Strengths

When your house is ideal for winter living, especially cosy nights, make sure you show off these strengths. Host your open home during the evening, when people can experience the warmth and comfort of your property first-hand. During the day, it isn't as practical to have heaters going and living areas set up for relaxation. Buyers might even think you are wasteful with your power.

Cosy indoor areas, elegant drapes and ornate lighting fixtures can all become highly appealing visual elements of the home when your setting is a cold winter evening. People will be able to instantly imagine themselves relaxing at home. Perhaps they will be willing to part with a little extra to make sure they get your favour.