Staging Your Home in Poor Weather

As we are moving into the months of nicer weather the process of staging any home for sale in The Ulster County area becomes a much easier task. Winter months require a different approach to home staging and careful attention to safety concerns. However, winter staging can be a real opportunity to make your home into a winter palace. Plus, if you home looks that good during winter buyers should be able to imagine how good it will look in summer.

The most important aspect of preparing your home for viewing during the winter, especially if you live in an area with any snowfall is safety. Now if there is only minimal snow, it should be a simple matter of doing a little shoveling and maintaining the walkways. If, on the other hand you live in an area that sees several feet of snow on a regular basis; you may need to do a touch more work. To keep your home safe for viewers, make sure that the walkways and driveway are clear and free of ice at all times. Keep some sort of de-icing agent on hand and be sure that it gets spread out on a regular basis to keep the drive in the best possible condition. Next have a look at the roof. If there is snow there that has a chance of sliding off then you will want to have the roof cleared off as well. Nothing would be worse than having prospective buyers surprised by several pounds of falling snow on their heads as they approach the front door.

Winter provides a great opportunity to show your home when the weather is at its worst. Take careful not of the weather and use it to your advantage. Set your home as a warm and welcoming refuge from the elements. Light the fireplaces if there are any, and have some warm drinks and snacks prepared. Staging around Christmas is another opportunity as snow + lights = winter wonderland. Be careful not to go overboard with decorations, these can easily distract from the actual home. Use your judgment and create a great buying environment and your home should sell for a great profit.

Lou Lynch is an Associate Broker at Nutshell Realty, a professional real estate firm serving the Ulster County real estate market. Lou's focus is assisting families and individuals in the selling and purchase of Ulster County homes.