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You need to read this if you’re going to be listing your house on the market soon.
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Most home buyers head out in the spring or summer to try to find their perfect property. Those seasons offer several advantages, including better weather and the ability to move homes between the end of one school year and the start of another.
Sellers know that these are prime home-buying seasons and tend to list their properties during this time frame when possible. But there are times when a winter sale is necessary based on life circumstances. If you’re going to sell your house this winter, these tips from finance expert Dave Ramsey could help make the transaction a success so you can hopefully get a good enough price to pay off your mortgage and then some.
1. Avoid over-decorating for holidays
While you may love to deck out your home for the holidays, you should think about skipping that this year if you’re trying to sell — or at least scaling down on the decor.
“If you’re selling around a holiday and have decorations up, make sure they accent — not overpower — a room,” Ramsey advises. Too many decorations could make it hard for potential buyers to see and appreciate your home’s best features. They could also make your home look smaller and more cluttered.
Ramsey is absolutely right about this issue. And it’s not just the inside where decor could harm you either. “Nothing says ‘my home won’t sell’ like a house with reindeer inflatables on the lawn in February,” Ramsey warns. You need to make sure you have good curb appeal, so don’t leave items up beyond the holiday and avoid decorations that could be a turn off to some buyers.
2. Have pictures of your home during good weather
Chances are good your home looks its best when flowers are in bloom and the lawn is a nice bright green. You’ll want to give potential buyers a chance to see what that’s like, if possible — even if they’re buying in the winter months. That’s why it’s helpful to follow Ramsey’s advice and paint a picture for them — or at least let them see some pictures.
“Buyers want to see details of the house, not a blanket of snow,” Ramsey says. “Make sure you have clear-weather photos of your home.”
3. Make your house as cozy as you can
Finally, if you can dial up the coziness a few notches and make your house seem like an inviting escape, that could be just enough to capture the buyers’ emotions and convince them that your property is the place they want to come home to.
“Light a fire in the hearth, play soft holiday music in the background, and prepare fresh-baked goods or mulled cider for guests,” Ramsey advises.
While you don’t want to go overboard with this Ramsey suggestion, the key to selling a home is to make buyers want to live in it, and make them picture their ideal life there. You want them to think that your home is the one they’ve been looking for.
While that can be a little bit harder this time of year since warm weather — not freezing winter — is most people’s ideal atmosphere to buy a home, following these helpful tips can go a long way toward maximizing the chance your house sells quickly and for a fair price.
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