Preparing for a winter open home
While spring is often considered the prime season for selling real estate, the reality is properties transact every day of the year, regardless of the weather, season or location.
But with the days now shorter and the weather now colder, it begs the question, is there an art to selling in winter? The answer? Yes there is and a lot of it comes down to how you prepare for a winter open home.
Here are our top tips…
Well maintained
Regardless of what season you are selling your property in, a successful sales campaign always starts with ensuring the property has street appeal and is well maintained.
This involves decluttering the home, giving it a general tidy and also tending to those little things to ensure the home looks solid and appealing, while paying particular attention to creating a great first impression.
Warm and cozy
Buyers don’t just fall in love with a property based on looks, it’s also about feel. In winter, the primary aim of the game is to make the home feel warm, inviting and cozy.
To achieve this, turn the heating on well in advance of the open home. And turn your attention to soft furnishings. Little things like throws, rugs and plush cushions add a level of coziness that’s extra inviting on a winter’s day.
A little added greenery
If you live in Australia’s southern states, one challenge of selling in winter is that gardens can look a little drab.
To combat this consider adding some evergreen plants to create great street appeal. These can be planted in the garden or in strategically placed pots.
Inside, you can also embrace plants, or alternatively, add fresh flowers on the day of the open home.
Natural light
Natural light plays a huge role in creating a warm and inviting property ambience, but as the sun sits a little lower in the sky in winter, an abundance of light can be harder to come by.
Do ensure you open up available windows and blinds to embrace natural light, and before you take your property to market, trim back shrubs and overhanging trees which may block available natural light.
If the weather’s grey and dismal on the day of an open home, consider adding candles to add a sense of warmth and light, and also turn on interior lights to illuminate the property.
The little things
A successful open home is all about the little things that add up to make a property look and feel great.
It’s also about appealing to all the senses. In terms of little things that help with a winter open home, consider the aroma of your property.
What about adding some candles or having the scent of freshly brewed coffee or baked biscuits wafting through the home?
The weather in winter can also be wet, so have an umbrella stand at the entryway for open home attendees to stash their ‘brollie’ in.
If it’s muddy outside, you may also want to encourage property viewers to remove their shoes, or have ‘booties’ available for them to slip on over their footwear.
Meanwhile, ask yourself what sort of ambience does the property have? If you have a fireplace, it might be a good idea to have a fire going during the open.
And even though it’s winter, don’t forget to dress your outdoor entertaining areas as if you’re expecting guests.
Work with your agent
The right agent will likely have a host of tips and ideas to really help your property shine at a winter open home.
Feel free to ask them about how you can help create the best effect and work with them to showcase your property in the best way possible.
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