In the grand scheme of things, the weather shouldn’t impact your home’s general appeal. Economic factors — such as more jobs and higher salaries — attract people to move to an area, no matter how inhospitable its environment may be.
Still, frigid weather affects property values in subtle ways. Understanding the winter’s effects on houses’ beauty and marketability matters when navigating the housing market, whether you’re selling or buying.
Precipitation Interferes with Improvements
Some argue that winter is the best time to renovate. Contractor availability is high during the season. Booking a sought-after local roofer, painter, carpenter and landscaper for a favorable deal is easy around this time of year. If your project requires a permit, you may get approval from the municipal authorities more quickly.
However, there’s a reason why home improvement contractors consider winter off-season. Snowfall and rain render home exterior projects less straightforward and riskier.
For example, although paint dries at the same rate on a dry day as it does on a humid day, securing ladders on slippery areas can be dangerous and require more caution.
Post-renovation cleanup is also less convenient. Dust removal is more challenging when outdoor surfaces are wet.
The more makeover hurdles you face, the less latitude you have in improving and raising your house’s value before listing.
Snow and Ice Hinder Assessments
Snowy weather can influence appraisals. Snow can cover damaged home areas, tricking an appraiser into believing the property is more structurally sound than it truly is.
If you’re a buyer, you may pay more than you should for the property and to repair the unseen structural issues when you move in.
An inaccurate appraisal can also hurt you financially through mortgage interest. The more money you borrow to buy a house with a snow-covered secret, the more interest you pay over your loan’s life.
If you’re a seller, snow can highlight your property’s weaknesses. The sight of ice dams along your roof edges may suggest you have an underinsulated attic, which a savvy buyer may use against you to get a lower price.
A snow-covered yard doesn’t always translate into high curb appeal. It may remind interested buyers of the hassles of snow removal.
Your heating unit experiences more stress during the winter. However, this should be less of a concern if you take a preventive HVAC maintenance approach. Experts suggest that you schedule a professional inspection at least once or twice each year and approve technician-recommended repairs immediately. Otherwise, your heating equipment may underperform, requiring more costly repairs down the line or negatively affecting your property’s value.
Furthermore, ice introduces more hazards to home inspections. An inspector may ask to reschedule an appointment until outdoor conditions improve. If you need to sell your property but have few offers available, you may have to accept less money to convince a buyer to waive the home inspection contingency and close the deal.
Sunlight is less intense in the winter than in other seasons, and there are also fewer daylight hours during winter months. Soft and fleeting natural light can make your home look dull and less inviting, which affects its perceived value.
The Cold Kills Housing Demand
Homebuyers with kids are less keen on uprooting their families in the middle of the academic year. Considering that weather has shaped school calendars since the late 1800s and paved the way for summer vacations, schooling inevitably impacts real estate seasonality.
Few homebuyers shop for houses during the winter. The cold generally discourages most people from moving, so they put off their plans until the weather is warmer and sunnier.
Weather the Winter to Get a Favorable Deal
Although winter is typically the least busy season for real estate, it also offers attractive opportunities. Buyers should be able to negotiate more effectively since there’s less competition, while sellers can demonstrate that their properties are winterproof and highly valuable.
Jack Shaw is a writer and editor for the lifestyle magazine Modded, as well as a car enthusiast and lover of nature. His writings on home design and renovations have been published on sites like CADdetails, A House in the Hills, House 2 Home Organizing and more. Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn.
