It’s not a secret in the real estate industry that the winter is a bit of a dead zone.
According to most sources, spring and summer are the best times to sell a home, with fall and winter seeing far fewer transactions. There are numerous reasons for this, from spring’s longer days and better house-hunting weather to the business of winter and fall with school and work.
You can’t always control the timing of your home sale, however, so we’ll tell you how to sell a house in the winter. If a particular situation is forcing you to sell your home – divorce, probate, foreclosure, etc. – you can’t just wait until spring for selling conditions to improve.
Fortunately, there are strategies and resources available to boost interest around your home and make a quick sale, if need be. Keep reading and we’ll help you ensure a good selling price on your home, no matter what time of year it is.
There Are Benefits to Selling In the Winter
Much is made of the negative side of selling a home in the winter, but there are positives to it as well. Here are a few of the things that can help you look on the bright side.
Low Housing Inventory
Because it’s widely accepted that selling in the winter isn’t as easy or lucrative, there’s a lower housing inventory. Your house will be one of the few on the market, so you won’t have trouble standing out to the people who are looking to buy right now.
During the spring and summer, when many homeowners choose to list, there’s far greater competition among sellers. Your house could end up sitting on the market for longer as buyers snatch up other homes.
Motivated Buyers
Winter house hunters typically mean business. For all the reasons listed above, people would always rather house hunt in the warmer months, so if you have an interested party looking at your home, there’s a good chance they’re motivated to buy.
Whether they’re relocating from another town or they’ve got issues with their current home, their desperation can work in your favor. Motivated buyers are more likely to give you a higher offer quickly.
Motivated Realtors
When you’re paying a realtor as much as they charge – tens of thousands of dollars – they should always be motivated. The fact of the matter is that the slower market affects them too, so they’ll be extra motivated to sell your home. If you find the right realtor, this can really work to your advantage as a homeowner.
How to Sell a House in the Winter
Yes, there are benefits to selling your home in the winter, but there are more barriers to get over. With fewer buyers, you’ll be dealing with a cold real estate market that makes no guarantees. You can’t force people to buy your home.
In addition, savvy buyers and their real estate agents understand the nature of the market and tend to send lower offers as a result. There’s not much you can do to combat this widely held trope in the real estate industry. That said, you can take measures to make your house more appealing to buyers.
Improve Curb Appeal
The winter months can be tough on your home’s overall appearance. Depending on where you live, it can get messy with the freeze-thaw cycle, leaving you with brown grass and slush everywhere.
Take the time to perform some winter landscaping before you list your home. 92% of realtors suggest homeowners improve curb appeal before selling and its importance is never more obvious than during winter.
Flexibility With Showings
Since you’re dealing with far fewer interested buyers, you need to be flexible with the people who are interested in your property. This is never more important than with the showings themselves.
People’s winter schedules are more constricting because there’s less daylight, the roads are slippery, and kids are busier. You don’t want to miss out on a potential sale because you chose not to accommodate a buyer, so be sure to work with potential buyers as much as possible.
Highlight Energy Efficiency
If you’ve got a particularly energy-efficient home, the winter months give you a golden opportunity to highlight this. Things like insulated windows and a healthy HVAC system are important features for buyers. When they step into your home to find a warm and cozy atmosphere, it’ll make a great impression.
Perform Winter Maintenance
Winter weather can be particularly hard on homes, especially older ones. Before you start doing showings, take the time to perform some winter maintenance tasks. A roof inspection, gutter cleanings, and pathway clearing will show buyers that the home is well-cared for all year round.
Strategic Pricing
If you’re in a bind trying to sell your home during the winter, you may have to price your home strategically. Pricing to sell is something no homeowner wants to do, but it’s important to understand the circumstances. If you could wait for the market to suit you better, you’d do it.
Take a look at some of the other similar homes in your area and come up with an asking price that satisfies you, but will also attract winter buyers. It’s important to get the price right or else your house will end up sitting on the market for too long and it’ll be more and more difficult to sell.
Why You Should Sell to a Cash Buyer
If you’re racking your brain trying to think of how to sell a house in the winter, there’s a good chance it won’t be through traditional means. Despite everything we mentioned above, the fact of the matter is that it’s difficult to sell in the winter and even more difficult to sell for a decent price.
For homeowners who need to make a quick sale due to some adverse scenario, the best thing to do is find a reputable cash buyer. This way, you can get a fair price for your home and close on the sale in a matter of days.
At ibuyhomes.com, we’ve purchased homes in any condition at any time of the year, whether you’re going through foreclosure, probate, or any other troubling issue.
Contact us today to fill out our secure online form and we’ll get back to you with a no-obligation cash offer ASAP.
