By EVA DUNN-FROEBIG
Selling your home during the winter months can be a daunting task. The holiday season is already a hectic time of year and selling a house can be stressful. However, there are distinct advantages to selling your home at this time of year.
“The housing inventory is usually lower in the winter months, meaning fewer listings and less competition,” said Missoula Organization of Realtors President Brint Wahlberg. “By just taking a few simple steps to prepare and stage your home, you can sell your home sooner rather than later.”
Here is some advice from the Missoula Organization of Realtors to make sure your house is sold at the best price and with the least amount of stress this winter:
Keep your home warm. It may seem obvious, but make sure that the moment potential buyers walk into your home they can warm up from the chilly outdoors. “This will help would-be homebuyers imagine themselves coming in from the cold into their new house,” said Wahlberg. “You’ll also want to find any drafts in your house and seal them up. They’ll be very noticeable in your otherwise warm and toasty home.” That being said, you need to contact a furnace repair technician to service your heating system or conduct furnace repair before showing your home to potential buyers.
Holiday Plans. Make sure that you plan any trips out of town or holiday parties well ahead of time. Timing is extremely important when selling a home, so you want to make sure that offers aren’t coming in when you’re out of town or that potential buyers show up during your annual family holiday dinner.
Decorate for the season. Keep your seasonal decorations conservative, but a light and bright or beautifully decorated home with well-placed greenery can give prospective buyers a picture of how their own decorations could fit in the home. “Just make sure that you remove any holiday decorations as soon as the holidays are over,” said Wahlberg. “Do not be the house with lights still up in February.”
Manage Your Curb Appeal. Many houses look their best during the warmer months, but a home with simple seasonal decorations, bright lights or greenery is still warm and inviting and appealing to would-be buyers. You should make sure that your driveway and sidewalks are always swept or shoveled and clear off any decks or patios. Also, remove any potentially dangerous dangling icicles or built up snow from your roof.
Hire a Realtor®. Finally, Wahlberg reminds sellers that all real estate is local, so it’s important to work with a Realtor® who is familiar with your neighborhood and community. Realtors® know what buyers in your area are looking for and can create a marketing strategy that will help you achieve the best results.
Check out this video for more information on why NOW is the right time to consider listing your home.
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Eva Dunn-Froebig is an active member of the community and the Communications Director at the Missoula Organization of Realtors. She has worked and volunteered for several membership organizations during her 15 years in Missoula, including Run Wild Missoula, the Missoula Art Museum and La Leche League of Missoula.