5 Tips for Selling Your Kansas City Home During the Winter

Just your luck -- you have to sell your Kansas City home this winter, the slowest and dreariest sales season of all. Who wants to think about selling their home with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years around the corner. In addition, keeping the snow and ice from tracking into the home can be a chore.

Cheer up. You can use proper home staging, the reduced housing competition and some seasonal opportunities to your advantage.

Why not remove the often home seller mistakes and make it a fun experience?

Many Kansas City homeowners pull their houses off the market by Thanksgiving if they haven't sold. That's understandable. Most people think that the time period from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day is the slowest time of year for home shopping as people focus on family and holidays.

If that was true, you would see a huge drop off in sales from December to the end of January and that is not the case.

Many people also think that the weather, too, helps put the chill in sales in Kansas City. More people might be looking at homes in the Spring but that doesn't necessarily result in more sales. There are more looky-loos and tire kickers in the Spring. Home buyers looking in the winter are typically more serious home buyers. 

Sometimes a job transfer, lease or personal circumstances require putting off wintertime activities for the winter home buyer experience. There are fewer potential home buyers during the winter and those winter home buyers look at fewer homes. As a home seller you'll need to have your home standout in the pack.

Here are 5 tips for selling your Kansas City home during this winter:

1) Remember the basics when selling your Kansas City home.

Take care of neglected maintenance repairs is a must. In addition, thoroughly clean and de-clutter are equally essential. Tidying up the yard and touching up the exterior appearance to improve the curb appeal also can make the difference between a deal or no deal.

Nothing counts more than pricing aggressively during the winter months. Aim to be one of the homes that home buyers choose to view, rather than one of the homes that they don't view. Ask your REALTOR to provide recent sale prices in your neighborhood; as well as, existing active homes.

If your home is priced properly, there is a chance you can have it sold quickly.

2) Think warm and cozy when selling your Kansas City home.

Home staging -- a popular technique used to make your house look bigger, brighter, warmer and more appealing -- takes on a new focus during the winter months. Rearranging the furniture can convey a cozy impression in winter. Try turning up the thermostat and have a fire in the fireplace for open houses. Having your home staged correctly can give your home an edge over the many vacant foreclosure and short sales homes on the market in your area.

Homes that aren't staged and have the furnace turned down to zero typically get low offers.

Displaying photos of how your property looks in summer is also good idea. Especially if you have a pond, nice landscaping, manicured yard or a flower garden. Some staging experts also recommend decorating with warm colors such as deep orange or crimson during the winter.

3) Shoveling the walkways and driveway make a big difference when selling your Kansas City home.

It might seem obvious to keep sidewalks and driveways free and clear of ice and snow. But many Kansas City homeowners who have already vacated their homes either aren't diligent about that winter duty or don't do a thorough job.

Homes that greet homes buyers with 6" of snow on the driveway and frosty air inside, typically get passed by home buyers. There is nothing worse then loosing the feeling in your feet then walking into a cold home.

4) Lighting is essential during dark winter days when selling your Kansas City home.

Your home may appear darker in the winter due to less daylight and the angle of the sun. Fight the gloomy weather with extra lighting. Turn on all the lights possible for visitors -- this is no time to worry about the electric bill. Forget about the low watt light bulbs, you want the home to standout for the home buyer. Open the blinds, drapes and shutters to let the natural light pour in during the day. Make sure to clean any grime off the windows first, though

Encourage showings during high-daylight hours. Showing after work in the dark isn't a great idea. Make sure you have enough outside lights on for the buyer to find the front door. Also, leaving the lights on in the home will make your home appear bigger. Keep your home well-lit even when you're not there or expecting a showing.

5) Holiday decor can be impactfull to home buyers when selling your Kansas City home.

The holidays give you an extra chance to make your Kansas City home stand out. Keep decorations conservative and don't overdo it on the outdoor lighting and decor. You don't want to portray that it is a chore to decorate or that your home was on "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." 

Adding a big red bow on the front door with some holiday greenery give home buyers a dose of seasonal cheer.

When Christmas and Hanukkah are over, you can keep the spirit alive. A colorful winter wreath on the front door and colorful poinsettias and holly bushes in the yard will help retain a festive look for January and February, when more house-shoppers start to turn up.

Need help preparing your Kansas City home for the real estate market this winter? The Dowell Taggart Team of RE/MAX Premier can help.

RE/MAX sells more homes than any other real estate company.

For a reason...should we talk?

Blog post written by the Dowell Taggart Team of RE/MAX Premier Realty 

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