“Oh, the weather outside
is frightful”... .so,
how do we show our house with all this ice and snow around?
That’s a good question. Not
only is the snow blowing around outside, but it is downright
cold out. But, do not worry. We just have to look at
showings with an eye towards cozy and inviting and everything
should be fine.
The Outside!
The very best thing you can do for listings during the
cold winter months is to keep your driveway and entrance
way clear of ice and snow. There is nothing worse than
someone falling on a piece of ice just before they get
into your house to see if they want to buy it. If you keep
the driveway clear, it will also look like it is easy to
keep up with the snow at your house. It actually makes
the house more attractive to potential buyers.
The look of long thick icicles hanging from your roof
may look good on holiday cards, but to people looking at
houses, it can mean you have too much drip off the roof
or the potential for ice dams. So clear away the icicles
prior to all showings.
The Inside!
These potential buyers have wrapped
themselves up to brave the weather to see your home,
so let’s wow them when
they walk through the door. Not only should the house be
picked up, the beds made, the toilet lids down and the
trash cans emptied, but you really need to make your home
as inviting as possible. Here are a few ideas to take the
chill out of the air:
- Don’t skimp on the heat.
Make sure your home is warm for those seeing it. A
little heat will make them feel right at home when
they step in.
- Leave a note thanking them for making the effort to
see your home and if possible, have a small plate of
cookies for them as well.
- Just baked cookies or a heated loaf of
frozen bread will leave a wonderful and inviting scent
in the air.
- You can also use other fragrant odors like a balsam
candle (just be sure to blow it out just before you leave
the house). No Balsam Candle? Try a vanilla one or any
fragrant candle will work well.
- Go through all your house pictures
and find about a dozen of the most flattering shots
taken on the outside of your home during the peak flowering
season. Pick ones with nice green grass. Place these
in a transparent plastic page or two so the buyers
won’t get marks on them
when they look. Leave the pictures right by the cookies.
- If you have a gas or wood fireplace, and you feel comfortable
leaving it burning while others are in seeing you home,
by all means, it would go a long way to make your home
inviting and cozy. You may only want to do this if you
are coming back to your home immediately after the showing.
- Some classical music or nondescript
mood music is always a nice touch when people are looking
around. Music tends to satisfy the hearing senses and
actually makes seeing the home that much more welcoming
and pleasing to the senses. Please don’t play
it too loud. It doesn’t
have to sound like the 1812 Overture at 100 decibels.
Soft quiet mood music is best.
- Turn all your lights on. Winter months are the darkest
and you want people envisioning your home during spring
and summer. Light is the answer. Warm lighting will never
hurt a showing.
- Flowering plants can really help
sell you home. Paper Whites and other forced bulbs
can really add a little spring to your home. They are
really inexpensive and can be very dramatic. Even your
green plants can add warmth and charm to just about
any setting. Don’t
be afraid to try some things.
These should give you a jump on helping someone fall in
love with your home. Just remember, a little common sense
during winter months will make showings just as inviting
as if you were doing them in the middle of July.
|
