The Edinburgh Realty eNewsletter

Issue #109 | May 2022

Archive

Six top tips for selling in winter

Otago’s cooler months are a great opportunity to showcase your home at its most welcoming, warmest and cosiest. Here are our six top tips for presenting your property at its best for a late autumn or winter sale.

1. Prioritise light and lighting. With daylight hours waning in winter, make sure all windows are clean, curtains, blinds and drapes are pulled completely open, and all bulbs are bright and working, inside and out. Arrange lamps or spotlights with care to enhance darker rooms.

 

2. Make it a warm welcome. Turn on heating well before the open home so there’s plenty of time for rooms to warm up. On a cold day, this demonstrates all heating options at their best, and can even encourage potential buyers to stay a bit longer! If there’s a fireplace, think about lighting it for maximum toastiness.

 

3. Create a cosy mood. Drape a gorgeous throw over the arm of a couch or at the end of beds, dress a dining table, adorn a bedside table with breakfast tray and stylish coffee cup, and in bathrooms, display boutique soap with plush robes or towels. These wee touches help to convey that atmosphere of comfort and warmth.

 

4. Clean, clean, clean! Make sure your home is free of cobwebs. Dust surfaces and light fittings, wipe down fixtures and fittings, clean out the fridge, wash, polish and vacuum floors, declutter all rooms, and empty the rubbish and recycling bins.

 

5. Stay on top of touch ups. Before and between open homes, keep up with maintenance and general cleanliness. Tend to any draughts, repaint or varnish window frames, check grouting and bathroom seals, and make sure heating has been serviced and is working at its best.

 

6. Dont forget the outside. Sweep pathways clear and check that all outside lights are working. Clear gutters, spouts and drains of foliage and debris and make sure trees and hedges are trimmed and tidy. If possible, have the exterior of your home washed for a bright and tidy first impression, and maximum impact.