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Take Me Home 12/9-12/16

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Tips for Selling Your Home in Winter

By Nick Nayne

Selling a home in Central Oregon during the winter can be challenging. Here are some helpful hints for brightening your home and making it sparkle during the winter. Most of these tips apply during anytime time of year, but a few apply specifically to winter.

1. Price your home to sell. It helps tremendously to price your home according to the market--keeping in mind that winter is a slower season. Pricing it higher and thinking the market will take more time may result in your home sitting on market for too long.

2. Maximize your curb appeal. When leaves fall off trees, your home is more exposed. If needed, clean the gutters and rake leaves and check for any touch up paint. This will be the first impression of your home that buyers will have.

3. Keep walkways and driveways clear of snow and debris. A well maintained home is important for safety and the comfort of buyers coming to see the property and minimizes interior damage from people walking in from bad weather.

4. Clean your windows and open the blinds and drapes for maximum light. It is a good idea to make your home as light and bright as possible and turn on the lights as well. Having sparkling windows is important as well. Clean windows sparkle on the outside and extra lighting adds cheer and a feeling of spaciousness, particularly important for smaller homes.

5. Put up holiday decorations. People like to see that their Christmas tree fits nicely in the home, but don't go overboard. I have seen potential buyers pass on homes because they could not picture how their Christmas tree would fit in the home. In a small home with limited space, a narrower tree can fit just about anywhere. Don't forget to turn on the tree lights.

6. Turn on the heat and fireplace. Walking into a warm and cozy home makes buyers feel welcome and turning on the gas fireplace is especially nice.

7. Place a floor mat in your entryway. This is important when it is snowing because snowmelt chemicals can stick to people's shoes, which can damage your floors. If the weather is bad, you can leave a note asking them to remove their shoes and leave them on the indoor mat or provide booties to cover their shoes.

8. Consider hiring a professional stager/interior decorator. Spending a little for a consultation on how to unclutter and most advantageously present your home can be invaluable by adding appeal to prospective buyers.

9. Hire a reliable real estate agent. This should be someone who will be available during the holidays and takes top-notch pictures of your home to maximize the online appeal of your listing. Many people look at homes online before contacting a realtor, so good pictures are very important.

10. Consider offering some owner financing. Today it is harder for first-time buyers to save for down payments because rental rates are often higher than a typical mortgage payment. Wages have remained pretty stagnant, too. You can get a higher rate of interest than the bank pays and your investment is secured against the property.

11. Relax and enjoy the holidays. You have now done about everything you can, so sit back and relax. Your home should sell fairly quickly, but if it doesn't, remember a new year and spring are just around the corner.