5 Tips for Selling a House in Foul Weather

Daily Real Estate News | January 4, 2007

Selling a home during the cold-weather months can be a challenge. Here are some tips for handling a sale in the dark winter months:

Don’t wait for spring. Point out to sellers that postponing can be the wrong choice when it means they must continue to pay the mortgage, insurance, and utility bills.

Get rid of the holiday decorations. “Holiday decor says to buyers that you aren’t prepared to move out so they can move in. It clutters and detracts from the home,” says Mark Nash, a real estate professional and author of the forthcoming book, Real Estate A-Z for Buying & Selling a Home.

Clean and light. Render the place dust-free and if necessary paint the walls with a light color. Linen tones are often the best.

Be creative. Nash, who sells homes in Chicago, had success last year selling an ordinary house quickly after he displayed poster-size photos of the home’s garden in full bloom near the windows.

Be realistic. No amount of creative marketing can overcome an overly steep price tag.

Source: Universal Press Syndicate, Ellen James Martin (01/04/07)