It’s common knowledge that summer is the most popular season for selling homes. However, when a Duluth homeowner needs to sell their home, the season isn’t always ideal. Winter may not be the most popular season for selling homes, but homes do sell during the cold months. From December 2018 to February 2019, about 973,000 homes were sold, which is about 19% of the homes sold that year. A lot of the strategies homeowners can use to prepare their home for showing are the same regardless of the season, but winter does present new challenges. Here are some strategies all sellers need to use when showing their home during the winter.

Shovel the Driveway and Walkways

If someone is coming to the home, they need to be able to reach it. If there is snow on the ground, take time to get out the shovels or snowblower and clear out the paths to and around the home. Sprinkling salt outside is also a good idea if the weather permits, but it won’t work if it’s too cold. Clearing the way to the home shows buyers the homeowner wants them to feel welcome. Little things like this can go a long way when making a good first impression.

Keep the Home’s Temperature Warm

When it’s cold outside, walking into a warm home is a great feeling. During winter, homeowners are often advised to keep the home on the chilly side if they want to save energy. When preparing for guests, turn the thermostat up a few degrees. If the home is too cold, the buyers may get uncomfortable and feel like the seller is trying to push them out as quickly as possible. This can make buyers feel unwelcome in the home and lead to a bad impression. Turning up the heat for even just half an hour while buyers are in the home can help a lot with making them comfortable.

Stage the Home For the Season

Staging is one of the best ways to show buyers the potential of a home. While homeowners may be at a loss for how to stage a home during other seasons, it can actually be a lot easier to stage during the winter months—especially around the holidays. Homeowners can use their holiday decorations to stage the home, offer holiday cookies to the buyers, or scent the home with seasonal smells like citrus, vanilla, evergreen, or cinnamon. However, with aromas, be sure not to make them too overpowering. 

Brighten Up the Home

During the winter months, it can be pitch black outside at 4:30, and many buyers will make viewing appointments after work in the early evening. When it’s dark outside, it can feel a lot darker in the home, which can affect a buyer’s perception of it. To offset any dreariness, turn on all the lights in the home. Turning on lights will increase visibility and make the home feel livelier and more welcoming. If the home still feels dim even when the lights are on, try replacing light bulbs with ones that have a higher lumen count.

Buyers who know what they’re doing won’t have any trouble sprucing up their home for winter showings. These are just some of the ways a homeowner can prepare for guests. When looking for other things to do, keep normal showing tips in mind. Most of them apply to homes no matter which season they’re being sold during.