News

Brave the cold!

17 Feb 2012

The NAEA's top tips for selling your home during the winter are:

- First impressions count: the outside of your house is the first thing that potential buyers will see, and in the winter front gardens and paths can look particularly drab. Make sure your front garden is up to scratch by painting any weather-beaten walls and replacing any frost-bitten plants.

- Run an open house: buyers can often be put off house hunting curing the coldest months, as the prospect of walking the streets looking at properties is not appealing. However, sellers can make this work to their advantage by running well-advertised open-house days during the winter. This will help attract committed and focused buyers, who will be grateful for your offer of a warm drink and a slice of home-made cake.

- Keep it warm: it's simple but important - make sure that your home is well-heated while viewings are taking place. Plus, allow time for the house to warm up. If you know you're going to be rushing home from work to oversee a viewing, it's a good idea to set the heating timer so it comes on an hour before the buyer arrives. Buyers will also be interested in how well the heating system works, so if you have a particularly cold room it could be worth ensuring it is better insulated during the winter chill.

- Check your lights: another simple tip is to ensure your home is lit well. Buyers will be even more attuned to the mood of the house in winter, and without much sunshine to brighten things up it's important that you make sure all your bulbs are working to show off your home at its best. Safety conscious buyers may also be impressed by outside lights and security lights, so invest in those if you are able.

* NAEA figures show that in January 2011 its members reported that their branches had an average of 252 house buyers on their books, compared to an average of 304 in the peak month of September 2011. However the number of properties available for purchase stood at 69 and 72 respectively, and sales agreed at an average of 6 and 8 respectively.

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