How to Stage Your Home When Selling During Winter

There is a certain craft to staging a home ahead of selling it and when it comes to a sale, first impressions count for a lot. Naturally, your home should be in the best possible condition ahead of any viewing and potential sale. However, the winter months are not the easiest conditions to work in, especially when the weather is dreary, and the days are shorter. But this shouldn’t necessarily mean that you postpone putting your property on the market until spring and summer. With some targeted actions and adjustments, you can still stage your home in a positive and enticing light. In this article, we provide information on how to stage your home in winter to attract interest and give you the best chance of selling.

Tips to Sell Your Home in Winter

Now let’s go into some more detail with our top tips for better staging in the winter.

1. First Impressions Are Crucial

Making a good first impression is absolutely crucial when it comes to selling your property, and the first area which potential buyers will see is the outside of the property. This is why it is so important to ensure that the kerb appeal of your property is appealing. In fact, it might be argued that it’s even more important to get this right in winter months, given that the outside of your property is likely to be impacted most by bad weather. Winter is gloomy, so making your home stand out on arrival will set your property aside and start any viewing off on the right foot. After placing a lot of emphasis on the interior of a property, it is easy to overlook the outside of a property. Sprucing up the entrance with a fresh coat of paint and tidying up your front garden, paths and driveway will go a long way. You may wish to find out more about kerb appeal in our article on how to improve kerb appeal.

2. Embrace the Season and Make Your Home Welcoming

Despite spring and summer lending themselves to brighter days and seemingly more ideal for selling a home, winter has its own charm and is not a deal breaker. Use winter’s natural seasonality to promote the idyllic cosiness and festiveness that is the antidote to the cold and frosty days. Adding throws, blankets and cushions will make living rooms and bedrooms feel warmer, cosier and more relaxing. If you have wooden flooring or tiles, you can add soft rugs for some more colour and comfort. Also, add some winter-scented candles such as spiced pumpkin, pine-scented or cinnamon to create another layer of seasonality. Alternatively, you could plug in a diffuser to fill the home with soothing aromas. It may sound simple, but make sure the thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature – a cold home will not be welcoming to any buyers. As a general rule, make sure that the heating is on. Also, light a fire if you have one to create a cosy environment.

3. The Importance of Light

Natural light is invaluable and artificial light is essential, whether your viewing is in the day or at night. Presenting each room in its best light will give everywhere a genuine sense of space for your viewings. It goes without saying that in the winter, it will be more challenging to showcase your house with natural light. Still, if the house viewing is taking place during the day, make sure that as much natural light as possible is shining into the house by opening blinds or curtains fully and removing any objects which might be blocking the light. Also, make sure that the windows are sparkly clean. If it’s a dull day, switch on the lights to help brighten up the home too. If the viewing is taking place when it’s dark, make sure that the home is well lit to make it as welcoming as possible. Check that the bulbs in the house are bright and in working order, and also ensure that security lights outside the house are working. Also, you may wish to invest in some higher-wattage bulbs to brighten up your home. You can have plenty of lamps on throughout your house too to add a warming glow and homely feeling.

4. Give Your Garden Some Love

Gardens take the brunt of the bad weather in winter and before you know it, your garden can quickly look unsightly and uncared for. This can leave a bad impression and hinder the chances of receiving an offer, even if buyers like the interior of your property. Many buyers will be put off completely if they feel too much work is needed to get the garden back in shape. Even simple garden tasks like trimming bushes, mowing the lawn, fixing the garden gate and brushing away leaves will make a big difference. Unlike spring and summer, it can be hard work to bring some vibrancy to the outside of your home. Seasonal plants like pine, holly, Japanese yew, and camellias will add life and colour to your property. If you are seeking some décor for your porch, use a blend of outdoor ornaments and seasonal foliage to set yourself apart from other properties.

5. Consider Exterior Lighting

With darker days and fewer daylight hours, it can be difficult to showcase the true picture of your outdoor space. One way you can combat this is by adding some exterior lighting to the garden and outdoor space. There are lots of all-weather options to choose from, and many of them are solar-powered, so there is no need to think about timers or plugs. Some exterior lighting options include fairy lights which you could add to trees, spotlights for pathways or the driveway, solar-powered lanterns for outdoor seating areas, as well as stakes which you can add to lawns and borders. If the garden and outdoor spaces are some of the most appealing features of your property, it is even more important to consider exterior lighting. Also, keep in mind that some buyers might be the type of people who spend a lot of time in the garden and outdoor areas, so it makes sense to showcase the exterior of the property as positively as you can. Whatever the weather is doing outside during winter, we are here to help you sell your home. Our experienced estate agents can assist you on every step of your selling journey. Find out more about our selling services, or book your free property valuation.

6. Take Care of Maintenance

Winter brings its own maintenance challenges, and it is important to keep on top of these in preparation of viewings. Make sure you clear drains of leaves, mud and dirt, and also keep an eye on gutters and down pipes and ensure they aren’t leaking or blocked. Make sure that paths are free from leaves, branches, snow and general dirt and debris. If it’s icy, salt paths and the driveway too (the last thing you want is for your house viewers to slip and fall over!). Also, make sure that you take care of any odd jobs which need tackling around the house such as fixing damp patches, taking care of superficial cracks and leaking tips, and cleaning stains on the walls or ceilings. These sorts of maintenance tasks are more important to tackle than you might think. Most buyers will be taking note of every little detail and will be actively looking for signs of any problems. So, make the effort to do all you can to make the house look more presentable and tackle those maintenance tasks. Whilst it’s important to take care of odd jobs which need doing, you don’t need to fix every issue with the property. Our article on what not to fix when selling a house provides some helpful information on this topic.

7. Don’t Forget the Basics

Whether you want to sell your home in winter or any other season, you mustn’t forget the basics. Firstly, make sure that your home is clean, tidy and decluttered. There is no quicker way of losing the interest of a buyer than an untidy and unclean home. Potential buyers will want to picture themselves living in your home, and that will be hard to do if your house is not clean and messy. It will also give the feeling of less space in the property, and you may give off the impression that you are not serious about selling the property too. No one wants to see muddy boots or sodden raincoats – take the time to make sure all your winter gear is out of sight and out of mind. Whether it is the coat hooks or shoe rack, taking the time to organise and declutter these areas will go a long way. If some areas of your home feel crowded rather than cosy, you’re heading in the wrong direction. Winter can be tough on your floors too; dirt, dust and damp are some of the worst offenders at this time of year. A routine sweep, hoover or mop between viewings will keep entrance ways and hard floors looking their best for each prospective buyer. If you want to avoid any mess, opt for disposable shoe covers for any potential guests or viewers.

8. Consider Whether You Need Photography

If the photos of your home were taken in the spring or summer, you should think about taking some new photos which show the property in the winter. This will help to keep your home looking fresh in the adverts ready for those winter viewings. It is also worth bearing in mind that some buyers might be somewhat dissuaded to view your property if the photos show your home in the summer, as it might give the impression that there is something wrong with the home which has caused it not to sell. Take some interior photographs after your home has been refreshed and styled for winter. For photographs of the outside of the property, it is a good idea to take them at twilight with plenty of light coming from inside and outside your home. This will give the property a welcoming and glowing look in the photos.

Is it a Good Idea to Add Christmas Decorations?

If you have some viewings over Christmas, there is no harm in adding Christmas decorations. In fact, they can add a cheery feel to your home! This is a great way to sell the idea of what Christmas will be like in this home for your potential buyers. Just make sure that they are not overpowering and don’t divert attention away from what the property has to offer.

Preparing for the Viewing

On the day of the viewing, it is important to do some final checks and to make sure that everything is in place to encourage a positive viewing. Here are some points to keep in mind on viewing day:

• Make sure the house is comfortably warm
• Ensure all rooms are as bright as possible, with lights and lamps switched on
• Check that exterior lights are on
• Light candles and fires
• Make sure that the entrance to the property is free of clutter and that doormats are clean
• Have somewhere to hang up coats and scarves, and to leave umbrellas
• Salt pathways and the driveway if needed

Also, you may adopt this policy in your home anyway, but in the winter months in order to protect your carpet and flooring it’s even more important that you ask potential buyers to remove their shoes whilst in your home. It shows you value the cleanliness of your home and could also highlight features such as a plush carpet, or nice wood floors. With any house viewing, it is important to make viewers feel welcome. One way of doing this is by offering a warm drink and perhaps something sweet when they arrive. This is a friendly gesture which your potential buyers will appreciate. This will make the whole viewing experience a more positive one. There is much more information around house viewings in our article on how to conduct house viewings.

Why Winter Can Be a Good Time to Sell Your Home

Whilst winter is traditionally a quieter time for moving house, the market is still open for business and in fact, selling in winter affords some unique advantages. Here are some of the benefits to selling your home in winter:

• Shorter days and poorer weather conditions will generally mean that people will spend more time indoors and on the internet. This will give potential buyers plenty of time to browse through online listings and find your property
• Buyers who make the effort to look for potential new homes through the winter are often more committed than many buyers in other seasons
• There are usually fewer homes on the market in winter. This means less competition from other sellers, and potentially a higher proportion of buyers booking to view your home. With less competition, some buyers could be more willing to put in an offer if they like the look of your property

Also, keep in mind that estate agents are still open throughout the winter, ready to take the calls and enquiries of potential buyers.

Is it Harder to Sell a House in Winter?

Ultimately, the property market is quieter in the winter and there are fewer potential buyers. This can make it more challenging to sell your property. The market tends to slow down in November and December, which often leads to sellers pulling their property from the market. However, this can actually generate more interest in your property as there is less competition for the buyers who are still interested in buying in winter. You may wish to find out more about selling your house in different seasons with our article on the best time to sell your house.

Are You Thinking of Selling Your House in Winter?

Here at Chancellors, we can help you to stage your home in winter and present it in its best light ready for selling. We offer a range of selling services, and our experienced and professional estate agents are here to offer all the support you may need to sell your property in winter. Contact us today for more information.