How should I prepare my home for sale in the winter?
BY SCOTT MOORE FEBRUARY 25, 2022In Winnipeg, winter lasts approximately half the year— or at least it feels that way—so its important to how to best prepare your home to sell in the summer and in the winter.
The first step to styling a home to sell in the winter is to style for the cold. Focus on making your home feel like a warm & cozy retreat from the harshness of the winter. Your home should be physically warm—bump up a notch or two on the thermostat, run your gas or electric fireplace for showings, but also decorate to make it seem warm—use cozy blankets liberally through the house, display slippers by the bedside or shower, add fuzzy throw pillows to the couch or bed, or have the fireplace channel playing on your TV.
Secondly, style for the dark. Add light! Not only should you make sure that every light is on for showings (even during the day), but add as many light sources as possible to every room. Multiple layered sources of light go a long way to making your home bright but also cozy. Don’t forget exterior lights & feel free to add as many there as possible too!
Thirdly, make sure you deal with the mechanics of winter. Make sure your driveway and sidewalks are all 100% clear of snow and ice. Nothing turns a buyer off more than having to trudge through a snowbank to get into a home. Also make sure you add an XXL entry mat at the front door and keep the floors clean. Melted snow and ice all over the front entry do not make a good first impression. The final step is to make sure there is empty space in the coat closet and plenty of free hangers. Even if it means your own family’s coats are stashed in the trunk of your car, you want people to feel the home is spacious and roomy—and having to cram their parka into an overstuffed front closet won’t help with that at all.
Finally, holiday decorations—what to do? I love holiday decorations and I think buyers do too—they make a home feel loved and they conjure up all the things we love about winter—love, family, celebrations and hope—and make them associate those good feelings with your home. It's perfect! However, the year you are selling your home is NOT the year to unleash your inner Chevy Chase. Keep the decor tasteful, nature-focused, and warm. White lights outside, a tasteful wreath on the front door, greenery, unscented candles, and a few pops of colour are great. Don’t go overboard on colour, religious items, or kids’ home made crafts—these are treasures to you, but the “keep it de-personalized” styling mantra still applies.
After all of that, I realized that I missed the very first step— which is to give an experienced and knowledgeable REALTOR a call. As you can tell, we live and breathe the techniques of selling homes faster, more easily and for more money, and having someone give you this type of advice on a one-to-one basis tailored to your exact home will absolutely help you prepare and sell your home.