In the real estate world, especially here in the Midwest, it’s no secret that spring is the busy season. People are coming out of “hibernation” and ready to sell or buy a home. This busy season carries into summer and oftentimes fall too! Winter tends to be slower, but there are still plenty of reasons to sell your home in the winter! Today we’re laying out the pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Serious Buyers
Not everybody is willing to buy a house in the middle of winter, so if someone schedules a showing on your listing, chances are they are serious buyers and are more likely to make an offer.
2. Time for house hunting Many people have more time off around the holidays, or have open weekends during the winter with more time for house hunting. Many people are so busy during the summer months that time for showings is limited!
3. Online Listings As more and more homebuyers find their forever homes via online listings, the season in which you list matters less and less. With little to do during the wintertime, homebuyers are spending more time searching the internet for their next home. Plus, with fewer listings during the winter, yours is more likely to stand out!
4. Motivated Agents If you’re working with a good agent, they should always be motivated to sell your home. However, agents do tend to be busier in the spring, summer and fall. If your home is one of their only listings during the winter, selling it will be their focus!
5. Contractors are Available Many home sellers find that they need to make some repairs or updates before their home hits the market. If this is necessary, trustworthy contractors tend to be less busy during the winter months than they are during the summer. If you need a list of recommended contractors, click here!
Cons:
1. Limited daylight When serious buyers go on a showing, they’re looking at the exterior of the home and the yard, too. Many showings happen after business hours, and in wintertime, that means darkness!
2. Snow covered lawns and limited curb appeal During spring and summer, curb appeal can easily be improved with some nice landscaping or some colorful potted plants. This becomes more challenging in winter when homes and lawns tend to look a bit more gray and drab.
3. Budgets are limited When the holidays and the end of the year approach, often people’s expenses are higher. They may be a little less keen to spend money (or at least to go over-budget) when they’ve been spending more than usual lately.
4. Less Competition When there are competing offers on your home, it tends to be more likely to sell over list price. If there’s only one offer on the home, the buyer has the negotiating power.
5. Hard to keep showing-ready
With wet and snowy yards, it’s tricky not to track the winter mess in to your home. It’s also important to keep your driveway and sidewalk plowed for visitors. Plus, you’re more likely to spend more time indoors in the winter, making it harder to keep it tidy where you’ve been spending all your time! Other items to consider when it comes to staging your home: wrapped holiday gifts and décor.
Clearly, there are plenty of positives of listing your home during the winter, but there are also some negatives to consider. No matter when you choose to list your home, know that when you work with the Hansen Home Team, your goals become our goals and we work hard to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients.