It can be difficult to sell your house during the winter. With everything so drab and dull, you have to work harder to make it attractive on the outside, and do a bit more staging inside to keep people interested once they’re in the door. Although homes with sunrooms tend to sell faster in the winter, even if you don’t have one, you can do a lot to make your home more inviting.
Because winter days are short, take advantage of all available light, by cleaning the curtains and blinds, and opening them as far as possible during tours. Cleaning the windows is even more important, because grimy windows can spoil a buyer’s view of the house, as well as the scenery.
Clean all lamps and light fixtures, use bulbs with the highest safe wattage, and turn on all lights before a showing. To make your home look more alluring to people driving by, leave all of your inside and outside lights on in the evenings, and consider putting them on timers for the occasions when you’re not home. Make sure that the porch lights illuminate your front door. If it looks worn or dull, a coat of high-gloss paint will give it a welcoming glow.
The colder it is outside, the warmer it must be inside, so turn up the thermostat before people arrive. It may raise your heating bill slightly, but if buyers are cold and uncomfortable, they won’t stay for very long. To make it especially cozy, turn on your gas fireplace. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, make a fire only if you’re going to be home during the tour.
Besides looking great, your house must also appeal to the sense of smell, which can strongly influence people’s decisions. Because you can get used to smells in your own home, you may want to ask a trusted friend to give it a nasal appraisal. If there are any pets or smokers in the house, clean the carpets and drapes, and air out the house before a showing. Scented candles and air fresheners can also help, but if you use too many, people may get suspicious about what you’re trying to hide.
On the other hand, pleasant aromas, such as chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, apple pie, and vanilla, are very enticing. While the kitchen must be immaculate for a tour, you can have frozen cookie dough ready on a cookie sheet, pop it into the oven, and have the cookies ready for prospective buyers. So, instead of simply being tantalized by an irresistible aroma, they can enjoy some “homemade” baked goods. This will truly make your home seem warm and welcoming.
Especially when it’s cold outside, people will appreciate anything that makes them more cheerful. In fact, one of the reasons that sunrooms are so popular is that they can brighten things up at any time of the year. If your home doesn’t have one, you can get a fabulous backyard sunroom from GazeboCreations.com.
At GazeboCreations.com, you can design your own sunroom in just a few steps. With tons of options to choose from, including insulation, partitions, ceiling fans, cupolas, skylights, decorative sliding glass doors, and several colors of vinyl siding, shingles, and trim, you can turn it into a spare room, an entertainment room, a home office, a guesthouse, or anything else you wish.
To see the entire selection of sunrooms, backyard structures, and outdoor furniture, visit GazeboCreations.com. To contact a design consultant or customer service professional, call 1-888-293-2339, or e-mail cs@gazebocreations.com.