4 MARKETING SECRETS TO SELLING YOUR HOME IN THE WINTER
Let’s not beat around the bush: selling your home is a job, but it’s a job that you can do well.
The good news is that it’s a seller’s market in Montreal now, so it’s the best time to sell your property. You don’t want to squander this golden opportunity, which is why Group Lamarre is sharing some marketing secrets for selling your home.
#1: List Your Home on the Right Day of the Week
This secret may sound familiar. Job hunters know to send an email and their CV to prospective employers in the morning, so they see the job hunter at the top of their email’s inbox.
This trick applies to homeowners selling their property. The only difference is that you should list your home on Thursdays. Potential buyers will see your listing Thursday night after work or at any time on Friday. You’ll be showing your home that same weekend before you can say “Sold!”
#2: Don’t Set a High Price
Sometimes, homeowners put their desired price even when it’s a price that aptly reflects their home’s value. However, it’s best to list a price that’s below the market value. This tactic will draw more buyers in and act as a springboard for a bidding war.
Remember: you hold the final choice, and if you’re not happy with the offers, you can always decline and change your listed price.
#3: Make Your Listing Picture Perfect
If you’re selling your home alone or have the wrong real estate broker, you may find your listing isn’t generating as much traffic as it should. Your listing’s photos could be the cause. When homeowners sell their home, they don’t realize that some elements should not be in their listing’s photos.
The following photo mistakes will stop potential buyers from visiting your home:
- Pet beds, toys, and other accessories. While potential buyers may have a pet, they won’t want to see this in your listing’s photos because it adds clutter.
- Junk. Even though many homeowners use the basement, attic, or garage to store junk, it should be removed from the photos to allow prospective buyers the opportunity to see the space and imagine its potential for themselves.
- Family photographs. These items should also be removed for potential buyers to see how they can integrate their family’s personality into the space. Remove framed photographs that are displayed on walls and tables; this includes photos and other personalized items on the fridge.
- Darkness. We know that most homeowners are not professional photographers, but one of the basics in taking photos of anything is lighting. When taking photos for your listing, turn on the lights in the room, and open the blinds for natural light.
- Cars, seasonal decorations, and unkempt yards. All potential buyers need to see themselves in your home and want to see what your front and back yards offer. If cars are in the driveway, they will block some of your home’s aesthetic appeal. Seasonal decorations won’t appeal to everyone and are worse when still present after the occasion has passed. Snow should be removed for prospective buyers to see the dimensions of your home. If possible, try to find photos that provide a good perspective of your home’s exterior during the spring or summer.
Mistakes like these will cost you time, and you don’t want your home to be on the market for too long. By consulting with a real estate photographer—or paying one to take photos for you—you will benefit from photos that highlight your home’s unique qualities.
Note: the above photo mistakes also apply to your open house.
#4: Embrace Hygge at Your Open House
Selling your home during winter is tough. People are discouraged by the cold and harsh weather, and they’re recovering from the holidays. However, not everyone has time to wait. You’ll find that there is a determined group—called motivated buyers— that still house-hunt in the winter, which means that if you want your home to appeal to them, you need to embrace the Danish concept of hygge.
Hygge is the belief of comfortable living that sparks happiness and wellbeing. When you’re travelling to visit your potential home, being warm and cozy is all you want.
Here are a few ways to bring hygge into your home:
- Add warmth to your bedrooms and living room by displaying a few throw pillows and blankets. Stick to warm colours and artisanal blankets, such as crochet and wool. Remember to not overdue it, as it can turn potential buyers off.
- Prepare some warm drinks for your visitors, such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Your visitors may not all take a cup, but at least they will see your efforts and have a better image of themselves living in your home. The aroma of the drinks will waft throughout the house, welcoming potential buyers. Coffee and chocolate chip cookies are often the aromas people associate with “home.”
- Light up your home during an open house but stick to low wattage bulbs that give soft light in the living room, den, bedrooms, and dining room.
- Place potted plants around your home, along with stones, seashells, and reclaimed wood. Zen practices and organic products are becoming increasingly popular with the dominant presence of technology in people’s lives.
You may think that hygge will bring more clutter into your home, but there is a way of minimizing it, so it has a presence without adding too much of your family’s personality.
Get Started with Group Lamarre
Our team is specialized in the many aspects of bringing a home to life for prospective buyers. We can help you list your home, organize a professional photo-shoot, and stage your home, so it gives off a tasteful hygge atmosphere.
If you’re selling your Lasalle, Verdun, or southwestern Montreal property, call us today at 514-766-1000, or fill out our online form!