Snow Sells Houses - Winter home-staging

As our favorite flowers get buried under the snow and the shrubs shed their greenery, it is all too easy for your house and front yard to blend in with all the other white places in your area. But when your house is on the market it is advantageous to have it defined and noticeable, looking like the pick of the bunch.

This is not so difficult to achieve, selling your home in the winter does have some seasonal advantages that can help your home appeal to a prospective buyer. By spending only a few dollars, you can transform your home into a Christmas card scene!

As your buyer turns into your street, he/she will already be assessing your home strictly from the outside view. For this reason, you will want the exterior of your home to look uncluttered. Remove all kid's bikes, hockey nets, etc. Be sure that you park your family vehicles in the neighbor's driveway, (ask first!) or around the corner. This will ensure that the buyer's first impression of your home will also include your garage doors and driveway. A spacious front yard gives a feeling of more privacy, so strive for this.

Be sure to remove all garbage cans and recycle bins from sight. This is critical if you have steps to negotiate when they are put out. Try to minimize any shortfalls that your property may have.

Another first impression for night viewings will be the light streaming out of your windows, making the home look welcoming - or not. A bright white light and a full view of the interior would not be desirable.

You do not want them assessing the interior when they should be admiring the exterior. From the outside you want to evoke a warm welcome into the home and a suggestion of coziness can easily be achieved.

However, first things first, make sure the windows are sparkling clean; this will be especially beneficial for day-time viewings when you want all the natural light to flood in.

For the evening viewings, place an amber or pink light bulb in at least one of your lamps, to give a warm ambience to your room. Keep the lighting low at first; once the bell rings you can add more lighting.

Another spot for lighting is the front door and this can also be a tinted bulb for a warmer welcome. Make sure that the front door bell works and that the door does not stick! Once something does not work, the buyer wonders what else is wrong with the house.

As most of the blooms in your yard are gone, it may look a little austere. Do you have any decorative pathways that can be swept to reveal their pattern? Of course the walkways will be shoveled free of snow, but if you actually sweep them with a yard broom, it will reveal the patterning and colors that you may have.

As you are trying to show your home to its best advantage, you may think about removing the shoveled snow to the back yard. If you want the Christmas card view, you can't have heaps of dirty snow piled up! Do be ultra sure that there are no slippery spots.

Discuss with your realtor whether or not to add accessories. For instance, would a few large pots of berry bushes look good grouped on the front lawn? Would the front door benefit from a three foot fir tree in a pot on each side of it?

Your walkways will be further enhanced by lamps placed along it, these are very reasonable and push into the ground in seconds. The snow will reflect the lamp glow and add to the curb appeal of your home.

Once you have gone to all this trouble, just hope that a blizzard does not arrive with the buyers!

Written on behalf of Joseph Pinto. Joe is a ialist in the Chicago real estate area. He owns his own company and operates with his team to help you through each stage of the selling process. Review the Chicago MLS with Joe.