Come in from the cold
You might think that it’s only possible to successfully sell your property when the weather is warm, but that’s going with the herd. Opting for the cold season, when everyone else is holding out, means your place could be snapped up quickly.
Buyers are still as picky as ever, but winter means there’s no stock. Package your home up the right way and you could be in for a speedy sale.
Here’s a few thoughts on how to sell in winter from a real estate agent. The inside word Quite simply, in winter there’s not much to do and if people are thinking about buying, they’re going to peruse to entertain themselves. ‘‘Malls get busy on rainy days,’’ said Terry Connell, sales consultant at Harcourts. ‘‘A lot of people are waiting to put their houses on in spring and we’re having massive numbers through properties at the moment.’’
She says it’s ‘‘average’’ to see 10 buyers through an open home, 20 on a weekend. ‘‘One agent told me yesterday she’s had 100 buyers through her property in three weeks,’’ she said. ‘‘Another agent said she’d had 80 buyers through a property in three weeks. ‘‘ Warm up Connell’s number one suggestion is to act as if you have your family at home. ‘‘Treat your open home buyers like your family,’’ she said. ‘‘Don’t do open homes and have all your windows open.’’
Instead, think about how you might get your home ready for a treasured guest to arrive, like for example, warming up the rooms to make them more comfortable. ‘‘If you have areas of your house that get a little cold or damp, put dehumidifiers on a couple of hours before the open home,’’ she said. ‘‘Then an hour before the open home, put a heater on in that space and then put it away.’’
Making your home look cosy is a sure-fire way to show potential buyers that it’s a comfortable place to live. ‘‘I’m a cushions-and-throws girl,’’ said Connell. ‘‘Just make it really cosy and inviting.
‘‘Light the fire if you have a fire and stack up the firewood next to it.’’ Make scents It might be one of the oldest tricks in the book but doing some baking right before your open home is sure to create an inviting aroma. If you’re not a particularly confident baker, try one of the par-cooked bread loaves you can get in the bakery section at the supermarket, which only take 15 to 20 minutes, or a boxed muffin or cake mix.
Otherwise, a beautiful scented candle will have a similar effect. ‘‘Make it a sensory experience,’’ said Connell. Green and pristine Lawns turn to mush in winter but you still need to keep them tidy. ‘‘Use a weed-wacker [strimmer] on your lawn rather than a mower to avoid lawnmower tracks,’’ said Connell. Sweep paths free of any leaves, bark or debris.
Clipping your trees in winter will get your garden ready for spring and make it look tidier. ‘‘Trees are practically naked now so it’s the perfect time to get them clipped.’’