Pinetop White Mountain Blog

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you are all recovering from the hectic holidays.  I know our season was a very busy one.  Not in the Real Estate world but personally, my family was kept very busy.  Every year it seems they get a little more hectic and stressful and everything that happens seems to be intensified during the holiday season.  I think we are led to believe that hectic equals fun, and spend spend spend is what we are supposed to do to achieve that happiness.  Well, it's over for another year and it's time to get back to business.

We are now heading in to the months of deep winter and that sometimes makes things difficult for sellers.  First of all because the buyers are fewer this time of year and those that are willing to brave the elements to look at property are pretty determined to get a good deal. 

As a seller there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of a sale during these slower months.  I have put together a few tips to help you with your efforts.

1.  First and foremost is look at your pricing.  Are you priced competitively or are there other similar homes in your area that are priced more aggressively?  Aggressive pricing can overcome even the most picky of buyers because today's buyers are searching for the Best Buy, even if the home is not quite as nice as the one down the street.

2.  Are you keeping the home accessible for showings?  Keeping a path shoveled and the driveway clear of snow will dramatically increase your possibility of showings during the winter months.  If there are huge piles of snow in front of your property and the buyers have to wade through deep snow to get to your door, they probably are not going to be interested.  No one likes to climb through snow drifts and get wet feet looking at property.

3.  If the house is vacant, are you keeping the utilities on?  Nothing is more frustrating to a buyer than to walk in a house that is dark and there are no lights on to be able to peak in those dark corners.  Few buyers carry flashlights and a dark house, even if it is caused by the lack of illumination, is very unappealing. 

4.  Is the heat turned on?  Without heat in the winter homes get very cold inside.  In our area especially, many of our buyers come from warmer climates and they are not always dressed for very cold temps.  Take my word for it, buyers will not spend much time looking at your property if they are freezing their toes off trying to look at it.  I've been in homes in the winter months where the temps were far below freezing and it was actually colder inside than out.

5.  If you are going to have the home available for showing during the day, keep a couple of lights on to make it feel appealing when buyers walk inside.  Just a table lamp or two can take the drab feeling out of a dark & dreary winter day.

These are just a few tips to help you sell during the winter.  It is a slower season, no question about it.  But people sometimes have to move during the off season so your best bet is to make the home as appealing and accessible as possible.

If you are one of those buyers out there who is looking for a home in winter, give me a call.  I can help you Find Your Perfect Place!  Let's get started!

Thanks for reading, until next time.....

Sandra Paulow, Associate Broker, GRI, SFR, REALTOR®  928-242-0300