Winter can be a great time to sell a house – but there are potential pitfalls you need to avoid to be successful.
Overload entryways
Winter in Wisconsin means boots, hats, gloves, scarves, snowpants and even snowmobile gear. This all takes up a lot of space by the door. Be sure to stow this stuff in a hall closet to make your entry look more appealing.
Ignoring snow/ice
A fact of life in Wisconsin! Be sure to clean all sidewalks and driveways/parking areas for potential buyers. This can be tough to keep up on but it is critical. Nothing makes a bad impression like trudging through un-shoveled show in street shoes – or worse, slipping on ice.
Outdated pictures
Been on the market a while? Buyers can immediately tell that if you have online pictures from another season. A good real estate agent will be on top of this – switching out snow pictures when spring arrives, for example. It is a good idea, however, to have some pictures in the house of your property during different seasons so they can see how nice the landscaping looks, what the pool looks like when it is open, etc.
Keeping the house too cool
We know heating can get expensive and you probably prefer to tell the kids to put on a sweater rather than turn the heat up. But when selling in winter, you need to make your home comfortable when buyers arrive. That might mean turning up the heat a little more than you usually do.
Dark streets, dark house…dreary winter darkness.
It sure gets dark early in Wisconsin winters so turn on all the lights, outside included, and keep the drapes open. Add some dashes of cheery color to your decor during the drab winter months,
Holding on to your old price
The Wisconsin real estate market hummed along very well all the way through the end of the year. If your home is still sitting on the market during all this, it is time to re-think your price. Especially in a tight market where there are often multiple offer situations! Take advantage of the buyer activity and adjust the price to attract those multiple offers.
First Weber sells real estate throughout Wisconsin: Metro Milwaukee and Southeastern WI, South Central Wisconsin/Greater Madison, Central Wisconsin, Southwest WI, Western WI, Northeast Wisconsin andWisconsin’s great Northwoods. You can start searching for Wisconsin real estate and Wisconsin real estate agents at firstweber.com
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