Selling homes in Winter

You just landed your dream job in Minnesota, and while you are over the moon at the prospect, you are not so happy about selling your home in the slowest season of the year for real estate, winter. While there are many aspects involving a significant lifestyle change that you can obsess over, don't allow listing your house to be among them.

Winter home sales in Minnesota

Real estate is not a seasonal business. People buy and sell homes fifty-two weeks a year because life doesn't come to a halt when the temperatures drop and snow flies. All the aspects that necessitate a need to relocate, be it cross country or across town, do not happen exclusively in the year's warmer months. Both advantages and disadvantages are inherent in listing a home for sale in all four seasons. One factor remains constant; presenting your home in its best light will result in quicker deals and higher prices.

When Selling in the winter, accentuate the positive home features

Does your home have features that shine in the winter months? Be sure your potential buyers know about them. Examples include:

• High-efficiency furnaces
• Newer energy-efficient windows and doors
• Extra insulation
• Solar thermal systems
• Radiant floors in bathrooms 
• Four season sunrooms
• A heated garage
• Heated walkways and driveway to eliminate ice and snow

Tips for Minnesota winter open houses and buyer tours

• Turn on your gas or electric fireplace. Remember, anything that makes your home warm and welcoming is an excellent asset in winter. 
• Brew a pot of tea and set it out with a platter of cookies. Simmer spices such as cinnamon and cloves with orange peels in a small pot in the kitchen. 
• Open the curtains. Turn on the lamps. Let as much light in as possible. Even bright and sunny homes can appear dark in the winter. 
• Play some soothing background music. Turn up the thermostat and amp up the cozy and warm. Make your buyers so comfortable they will reward your efforts with an offer!

Staging your home to sell in a cold Minnesota winter

Hang an evergreen or other winter wreath on the front door. Consider a potted fir tree if you have a porch to add some color and interest. Window boxes can be the star of the show, filled with winter greenery and boughs of berries. Even though it's winter, make sure your outdoor space gets some attention. Keep your backyard deck and patio clear of snow. Some winter greenery and outdoor garden lights or lanterns will make it welcoming.

Cozy Up the Inside

When it's cold outside, make your indoor living space as warm and appealing as possible. Consider draping a fuzzy throw on a sofa or chair. Decorate with knitted, wool, velvet, or furry pillows. Let the light shine through by throwing open the draperies and window shades. Even if you have an evening tour, the warm glow of a lamp spilling out of the window imparts a feeling of warmth to prospective buyers as they drive up to your home.

Tell Your Landscaping Story with Photos 

Even the most beautifully landscaped yards look barren and dreary in winter. If you have outstanding landscaping, have pictures available for buyers to see. Beautiful landscaping is a desirable asset, so if you've got it, you can still flaunt it even in winter.

For Winter Holiday Listings

Slippery steps and walkways are not welcoming. The walk to your front door should be free of snow and ice. Having a prospective buyer slip and fall on the way into your home is not going to make an excellent first impression.

Curb Appeal

Hang an evergreen or other winter wreath on the front door. Consider a potted fir tree if you have a porch to add some color and interest. Window boxes can be the star of the show, filled with winter greenery and boughs of berries.

General Decor

Keep the decorations generic and straightforward for those selling their homes through the winter holiday season. The watchword is less is best. If you have a small home and a Christmas tree will take up too much space, take a pass. If you have large rooms where the tree will not obstruct the flow of your floorplan, then, by all means, have one. Decorate the fireplace mantle. Consider generic touches like a basket of pinecones or winter greens and berry arrangements. Stay away from décor that is religious in tone. Do not overdecorate the outside of your home lights and ornaments. Remember, less is more. And be sure to take your holiday decorations down as soon as the celebration is over.