A WARM WELCOME

Selling a house at this time of year can be a challenge.  You are not just marketing bricks and mortar; when you show a prospective buyer around your home what you are really selling is a lifestyle.  And for the purchaser, it’s easier to imagine an idyllic life living in your home when the sun is shining, the windows are open and the house is full of fresh air, and lazy summer days in the garden are beckoning.

Of course, we can’t do anything about the weather, but there are a few things that you can do to ensure that anyone viewing your home gets a warm feeling about what it would be like to live there.

First and foremost when the weather is wintry is heat: make sure you house is nice and warm, from the moment they arrive in your hallway to the very last spare bedroom.  A real fire is always welcoming (assuming you have a fireplace of course, otherwise it’s alarming!), and speaks of cosy evenings in with the family.

It’s not for nothing that we express sentiments of wellbeing as a ‘warm feeling’.  You want prospective purchaser to have that warm feeling towards your home, and making sure the heating is doing its job is an important part of that at this time of year.

But it’s not just about peddling the idea of huddling down against the winter cold.  Somehow you also have to put forward the idea of sunny days in the garden as well.  When the mercury is dropping into negative territory, this can be challenging.

However, just because it’s frosty doesn’t mean that your viewer won’t want to see the garden.  You can’t glue leaves on the trees, but planting a few winter blooms (crocuses, snowdrops, even early daffodils) will add a touch of colour which will hint at those warmer days.

If your patio furniture is sleeping under its winter covers, it will be difficult for buyers to picture the garden as an extension of the indoor living space.  So set out the garden as if it were summer; clean the outdoor table and chairs, uncover the barbecue and demonstrate what a great place your garden is to relax in. 

Even though they may be able to see your breath, sub-consciously your viewer will picture themselves enjoying warmer weather.  And if you have had the forethought to take some pictures of your garden in its summer splendour, don’t forget to show those as well.

Despite the chilly forecasts, spring is only a few weeks away.  In just over a month, the clocks will go forward and we will start to enjoy outdoor living again.  So now is the time to imbue a nice warm feeling in your viewers, so that they can have mentally moved in before they even step back out into the cold.