Selling a Home During the Holidays!
Selling a house during the Christmas period can be tricky. Shiny decorations and nosy relatives will put off even the hardiest of viewers. But once you’ve taken down the tinsel, and sent Great Aunt Hilda packing, what can you do to make sure your home has the ‘wow’ factor for the early spring buyers?
Here are some practical tips to help you ‘spring’ into your new home:
1. Heat it up
The thought of viewing an unheated house is uninviting and won’t create the right first impression on a viewing. If you know you’re going to arrive at the same time as your viewers, set the heating timer to come on a few hours prior to the viewing. Not only will the house be toasty warm, it’ll prevent any noises of boilers kicking in. Before they arrive, maybe pop the fire on low too if you have one, it makes a living room so warming and homely.
2. Clear the path
If you have a lot of tree's, clear the sidewalk, gutters, and front porch from leaves. Make it clear, dry and presentable to prevent slip ups. Though we don't typically have snow, if we do get snow, shovel the pathways too. Trawling through leaves or the snow to the front door isn’t massively inviting.
3. Let there be light
Create a warm, welcoming atmosphere even before your viewers step through your front door, by switching on all the lights, just like you see in showhomes. If the viewing is arranged for after the sun has set, leave the overhead lights off, and instead light all the lamps, for a cosier look. Don’t shut any curtains as it will make rooms seem closed in. Take advantage of timers too – if people go past your home and see for the sale sign, your home will seem more interesting with lights on.
4. Lighten up
Winter often encourages us to seek out deeper, richer colours in fabrics and bedding. To change the mood for Spring, change bedding and soft furnishings, like cushions and throws. Spring colours are soft pastels, like duck-egg blue, pale lemon and soft greens. Sprinkle some of these around for a fresh Spring-like feel.
5. Don’t forget the garden
If your garden is looking a bit worse for wear after Winter, it’s time to spruce it up – a well-presented garden can add thousands to the perceived value of a house. And there aren’t many buyers out there who will be keen to get stuck into an overgrown garden straight after moving in. Take out any garden toys left over from last summer, pressure wash the patio and add colour with some pretty hardy plants in pots.
6. Dress your rooms
Make a room look inviting and well-staged by creating a mood. In the dining room, set the table for a meal using your best china. Put your lotions and shampoos in neat groups in the bathroom, and hang freshly laundered dressing gowns. Place winter flowers in vases around the house. Set a newspaper on the coffee table and a few magazines to add that extra polish.
7. Add some sparkle
Make your home sparkle on the inside, and keep it really clean. Vacuum carpets, wash the windows, dust furniture and clean the floors. Clean out your fridge as – surprisingly – many people look in the fridge, especially if it is integrated. Your whole house should look and smell as if it has just been completely spring-cleaned.
8. I ‘scents’ a sale!
While making your home smell nice is a must, don’t spray air fresheners or perfume in case visitors are allergic.Focus on getting the home smelling naturally cleanand welcoming. A lovely inviting smell is baking – make some cookies and time them so they’re just ready as people arrive. Ensure that you offer them to the buyers though, or they’ll be disappointed. You can even get an apple pie from the store and place it in the oven to warm it up each time your home is shown, then freeze it again once they leave.
9. Flower power
Splash some cash on a couple of really nice bouquets of flowers. Put one in the living room, and split the other into two or three smaller vases for the hallway and master bedroom. Keep to the Spring colours, though bolder shades can work well for accent colours. Spring flowers like daffodils and tulips will add a lovely scent while reminding your viewers that warmer weather is almost here.
10. Add some ambiance
Try playing some soft music to add a sense of atmosphere to the house. There’s nothing worse than a house that’s too quiet, and you may feel you have to rush in and talk when sometimes viewers just need to soak it up. Music can really help to put everyone at their ease. Go for easy listening, but relatively up to date, like Adele, Dido or Michael Buble.
For more information, or to see what your home is worth, contact us: (910)378-9410
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