IF you are considering selling your property now, the current deluge of cold, wet weather may have you thinking about waiting until spring.
However, with a few tweaks to your home’s presentation and marketing, you can easily meet the challenges winter brings.
“Many sellers hold off coming to the market in winter because they believe that spring is always better, when this is not always the case,” Reiwa councillor Hayden Groves said.
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READ NOW“Certain properties are well suited to offering to the market in winter, for example homes that have excellent solar-passive design with lovely northern light flooding the living areas can really stand out from others on cool sunny days.”
If you are selling your home this winter, Mr Groves offered the following tips.
Heavy rain, wild winds descend on Perth
Home opens
Bad weather can often keep potential buyers away so if it is going to be stormy, Mr Groves suggested considering whether holding a home open is a good idea and discussing with your agent whether it can be moved to a different day.
Lighting is another important factor when presenting your home in winter.
“Make sure your home is bright and cheerful and one way to do this is changing globes in living areas to bright white LEDs with bedroom areas accented by warmly lit lamps,” Mr Groves said.
“Other little touches like having a fire pit going in the rear garden or patio (make sure you keep it safely away from children) adds ambience.
“And if you have a gas or open fire, make sure it’s alight during home opens but don’t make your home too hot and stuffy.”
Other tips include offering umbrellas for buyers who want to look around outdoors and making sure there are floor mats near doorways helps keep the floors clean.
For convenience, you can also have an umbrella stand near the front door where buyers can place their umbrellas when they arrive.
“Having a simmering pot of hot chocolate on offer is a nice touch too,” Mr Groves said.
Promoting your home
Photos are important when it comes to attracting buyers and you want to present your home in its best light, but this can be more difficult when the weather is gloomy.
Mr Groves said where possible, try to arrange for photographs to be taken during finer weather or perhaps at twilight if your home has quality lighting.
When it comes to describing your property, you can also focus on the winter-friendly aspects of the home.
“Definitely tailor your property descriptors to make the most of any features that enhance liveability in cooler weather such as enclosed patios, open fires, plush carpets and central or floor heating,” Mr Groves said.
Presentation
Winter can highlight all those niggling little issues about a property, things that you might have lived with for years, such as a draught or occasional leak, but they need to be fixed when selling.
“Make sure your property is weather proof, that the gutters and soak wells are clear and flowing properly, the roof is in good condition and any areas where water gathers on paths and paved areas is sorted before coming to market in winter,” Mr Groves said.
Gardens are another area that can suffer in winter, but Mr Groves said there are ways to make them look appealing without having to wait until spring.
“There are plenty of native species of plant that flower during the cooler months so consider putting some colour into your garden especially if it’s dominated by deciduous species that can look a bit sad during winter,” he said.