Warming up your winter home listing when the market runs cold

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Published Date 10/30/2024

Seems like a no-brainer to get a home ready to list when the weather is fine, the flowers are blooming, and balmy breezes herald sunny days ahead. But what about making a house attractive during the colder months?

Realtor.com’s Marianne Garvey reports on how Chris Schwarz, a Florida real estate broker, offers a list of tips on how people can spruce up their homes to lure buyers. Are the cold months a good time to sell? The answer is that it depends on your goals.

Garvey finds that if you are eager to sell your house because you already have your sights set on another location, he says, then the best way to see whether your home is going to be a hit is to put it on the market. But once you have made the decision to list your home, there are a number of simple ways to ensure that it catches the eye of prospective buyers.

Schwarz’s tips include focusing on warm lighting in the home. “So as the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, lighting plays a huge role in how [homebuyers] are going to perceive your home when they show up to it,” he says. He goes on to say that in the fall there is limited natural light. To make up for that, offer warm, cozy, natural lighting on the inside of the home, and replace harsh cool-tone light bulbs with soft white bulbs. Adding floor or table lamps to key areas of your home can also help eliminate dark corners.

Outside? Schwarz says adding lighted pathways or even hanging string lights can create an inviting, fun atmosphere. “The overall thing that you’re trying to do is make your home feel inviting and welcoming to the buyer, making them feel comfortable and painting the picture of allowing them to see themselves living there,” he says.

Don’t overlook seasonal decor, either, he says. Keep holiday decorations tasteful and low-key, especially when it comes to more dramatic celebrations like Halloween. “One of the great things that you can do to keep up with a home appeal for your house is doing some nice tasteful decor outside. So don’t make it super crazy. Don’t make it super scary. If you have the scariest house on the block, people are not going to want to come to it,” says Schwarz. “They’re not going to want to come check it out. They’re going to think it’s cluttered and probably not the best house for them.”

He recommends adding pumpkins and nice fall-colored plants to make the outside area of the home more tasteful and inviting while inside, adding some throw blankers and pillows in a variety of fall hues, like mustard, yellow, burnt orange, and deep red. “Those things will go a long way in helping accent the home,” he says.

Seasonal centerpieces are also winners with buyers — like a bowl of fresh apples or a vase full of fall-colored flowers.

Make sure to tidy up the house inside and out, he continues. “The few big things here are going to be making sure your lawn is maintained and manicured throughout. Your gutters are clean. This is a big one a lot of people forget, but it does make a big difference when people show up and there’s overflowing dead leaves and whatever else that collects in gutters,” he says.

A freshly painted front door can also go a long way, he adds. “This one is huge and can go a long way. I mean, think about it: You’re walking up to a house for the very first time and you show up to a busted ugly door that’s beat down and just looks bad. It’s going to give off a bad impression,” he warns.

“And when people think something looks ugly from the outside, they’re already thinking in their mind it’s going to be ugly on the inside.”

One thing off-season buyers pay attention to is energy efficiency. Schwarz says to point out programmable thermostats and any insulation you might have. “It could be the deciding factor whether they want to purchase that home or another one based on how much money they’ll be able to save overall on a monthly basis,” he says.

Realtor, TBWS

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