Four Reasons to Sell Your Home This Winter
Spring and summer are popular times to sell a home, but selling a house in winter has its own perks. Following are a few reasons the winter market isn’t as barren as many think.
The Upside of Selling a Home in Winter
Inclement weather and post-holiday exhaustion make winter a time of hibernation. However, it can also be a good time to sell a home. Rather than wait until the market takes off again, consider these potential benefits of selling during the slow season:
Get an edge on the competition. An appealing house is an appealing house regardless of the season, and one big reason to sell your home during winter is less competition. Come spring and summer, all the comparable homes will be on the market as well—so why not be one of few instead of one of the many. Because winter buyers are braving the inclement weather in search of the perfect home, they may be more serious than spring buyers and if they find something they like, they may get a deal underway to avoid more driving around in dismal conditions.
Enjoy less show-ready maintenance. It’s true that you’ll see fewer buyers come through in the winter, but that can be a good thing. Instead of daily cleanings for the curious, there will be more space between showings and they will be more meaningful. There will be less landscape maintenance as well. In the winter months, mowing, weeding and pruning are minimal.
Be the center of attention. A good real estate agent will do an excellent job in any season, but they will have additional time to dedicate to your listing during a slower one.
Attract the out-of-towner. January is a big month for company relocations. The thing about people who are moving from one town to another for the sake of their career is, they have to find a house no matter what time of year it is. If your home is one of fewer on the market, it has a better chance of being selected.
A Sunny Outlook for Winter Sellers: Faster Sales, Higher Prices
The four reasons above may be enough to consider selling your home in winter, but two more benefits are price and speed of the sale. Statistics show that houses often sell faster in winter. Experts believe it’s because people don’t want to keep dealing with the elements—they’d rather just get the buying process over quickly. The other positive statistic is price. Data shows that housing prices are higher in winter. Less competition for the seller and greater motivation from the buyer may explain this phenomenon.
Spring and summer will be here before you know it, but if you want to benefit from a winter house sale, there is plenty of time to do it. Call today for help every step of the way.