Selling Your Home In The Winter Market?
Traditionally, most experts consider the wintertime to be a buyer’s market. Spring and summertime tend to offer the most opportunity to sellers, says conventional wisdom, because people prefer to move when weather’s cooperative and the school year hasn’t started yet. And there is a certain truth to this: statistics show that more people do move during the spring and summer months.
That being said, there’s no reason to panic: thousands upon thousands of homes are sold each and every month, regardless of the season. And, in fact, buyers who are home shopping during the inconvenient winter months may themselves be in a hurry for one reason or another, which could level the playing field a bit.
So, with all that being said, let’s cover a few concrete tips to help put you in the best position to make a sale that you are happy with.
- Price to sell. This isn’t to say that you need to sell yourself short: after all, you deserve to get what your home is really worth, regardless of what time of the year you are making a sale. However, it is generally a good idea to recognize that you may not be in the best position to get a premium price–and naming a high price expecting to be bargained down is oftentimes a road to either no sale, or a sale with an uncomfortably low price. Many times, it’s best to be a bit conservative but realistic with your pricing in such markets. Of course, this does all depend quite a bit on your goals and your flexibility: if you can afford to wait, you can price your home a bit more ambitiously and see what happens. If you need to sell your home as quickly as possible, on the other hand, it is probably safer to pick a more buyer-friendly price.
- Consider selling as-is. This is a decision that could push your asking price a bit lower still, however, it can oftentimes save you a lot of time, expense, and headache. Performing repairs in the wintertime can be expensive, dangerous, and stressful, and if you can find a buyer who is willing to accept your house without repairs, this may be well worth your while.
- Perform cosmetic maintenance. Simple cosmetic maintenance is always a good idea when selling your home, but it takes on a special importance during wintertime. By investing just a bit of time clearing out your driveway and walkways and keeping your house looking spiffy inside and out, you can differentiate your home from many others, and give potential buyers an extra-positive look at your home.
- Keep it comfy. On a related note, be sure to keep temperature and humidity levels very comfortable whenever buyers will be coming: if these factors are not optimal, those buyers may assume the problems are related to the central heating of your home–and, at the very least, they will be left with a less positive first impression.
For more tips on selling your home, visit Blue Marble Properties online today.