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Selling a House in the Winter? Get Ahead of the Competition

Posted On Wednesday, 24 February 2021 22:27

Many homeowners steer well clear of selling a house fast in the winter months, particularly in the lead up to the festive period.

Generally speaking, the property market slows down in the winter months due to less demand from both buyers and sellers.

For those looking to sell a house fast; the winter months can be a very bleak period, especially on the open property market.

September to March is often described as the ‘trough’ of the open property market and one of the least popular times of the year to sell a house fast.

However, that doesn't mean you have no chance of being able to sell a house in winter. In fact, if you know how to sell a house in a bad market; selling a house in winter is not all doom and gloom and can actually be a piece of cake.

Whilst buyer’s enthusiasm dies down in the lead up to Christmas, it's all systems go as soon as Christmas day is over!

Rightmove have reported they receive over 31 million webpage visits on Boxing day. So even if you haven't achieved a house sale ahead of Christmas, making sure your property is looking it's best will give you the best chance of selling a house in the winter.

Selling a house in the winter months - top tips:

Winter can be cold, dark and wet, which often means houses won’t be looking their best. If you're looking to sell a house in winter, making sure yours looks better than the rest of the competition could be the real key to success.

Start on the exterior of the house

Making sure your house looks good from the outside is just as important as the inside. At the end of the day, the exterior of the property will be the first thing potential buyers will see. You could have the most well maintained interior, but if your shabby exterior is discouraging viewings, you should invest some time and money to improve.

You can ensure your property has instant exterior appeal by cleaning the windows and window frames, clearing leaves from the gutters, as well as tidying up the garden.

Add more kerb appeal to your property by clearing away any sign of the winter weather. Sweep away any fallen autumn leaves from paths and decking and chop back any overgrown trees, plants and shrubs.

Then move to the interior of the house

When it comes to the interior, preparing your house to sell in winter is a lot like preparing your house to sell in summer.

Making sure your house is clean, clutter free and looking is an absolute must when selling.

However, there are certain things you can do to your interior in winter to aid a successful house sale:

Let there be light: With around 11 hours of natural daylight in the winter months, there's probably a good chance viewings will commence in the dark. Therefore, it's really important when selling a house in the winter that both the interior and exterior lighting is right.

Choosing brighter light bulbs or taking down curtains can make all the difference. If you don't have an exterior light, think about adding one. You don't want to put off any potential buyers by inviting them into a really dark house. First impressions count!

Keep Christmas decorations tasteful: If you're house sale falls over the festive period, it's advisable to keep any festive decorations as tasteful as possible.

Avoid flashing exterior light and inflatable snowman on the lawn. Instead, keep it simple and classic.

Keep it warm and cosy: Staging your home to make it appear as cosy as possible in the winter months can go great lengths towards a successful house sale.

There are lots of different concepts you can adopt to create an instant warm, cosy feel in your home. Our favourite is 'hygge', which a Danish concept literally translates to warmth, cosiness and contentment.

If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace; light it ahead of any house viewings and make sure you remove any personal photos and ornaments to create a more neutral space. Perhaps put the heating on before a viewing too.

Need to sell your house ahead of Christmas?

There are many things you can actively do as a seller to try and sell your house ahead of Christmas. So, if you truly have your heart set on celebrating Christmas in a new home, you could also consider selling your house directly to a cash buyer like Quick Move Now.

When is the best time to sell a house?

Traditionally, the best time of year to sell a house tends to be Spring and Summer (March to August). where people are generally more concerned with property purchasing.

Sunny weather and bright skies will show a property at its best. In the winter, house sellers don't have this luxury and coupled with the fact there are fewer buyers around, getting someone to buy your house, can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

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