Even though 92% of real estate agents who participated in Homelight’s Q3 2020 survey said they’re experiencing a strong seller’s market, getting the house sold may not be the easiest thing in the world to do. Pennsylvania isn’t necessarily known for its mild winters and people aren’t too keen on braving the cold temperatures.
Regardless of what Mother Nature decides to do this year, one of the easiest ways to draw a buyer’s attention, it’s by luring them in with amazing curb appeal. We have a few ideas that’ll leave a lasting impression and get more folks interested in buying your home – even in the winter!
1. Seasonal decor is always an eye grabber
You may have gone all out and decorated your yard with Christmas lawn decorations, oodles of lights, and other holiday regalia, but when the holidays are over and the decor is put away… The yard may look a little dreary.
You can keep the neighbors, passers-by, and more importantly buyers interested in your house by adding seasonal decor. You could add cement benches or figurines. If you love birds, hang lovely bird feeders in the trees in the front yard. If you have a garden, you could add colorful wind-spinners to add movement and color.
2. Elegant lighting looks great with or without snow
Lighting is an important part of curb appeal, especially now that it gets darker a lot earlier. You may already have a few porch lights and bright flood lights over the garage, but they don’t command the right attention. If anything, they do the complete opposite because the fixtures are less than appeal and the light they give off is just too… Glaring.
You can replace existing fixtures with something with a little more style. If you love that rustic look, go for lantern style fixtures with flickering bulbs. If you like a more modern look, you can choose fixtures with sleek lines and pair them with a warm white bulb.
Oh, and let’s not forget the walkway! Walkway lights help draw the eye to the front door, but they’re also helpful for visitors to make it safely to your door after the sun goes down.
3. Set the scene with a festive, wintery porch
We mentioned to add some pizzazz to your yard with seasonal decorations, you can do the same thing with your front porch. Instead of having a Christmas tree with decorations by the front door, just have a few potted evergreens in a corner with burlap ribbon tied around the pot. You could go to the thrift store and find antique items that give off that wintery vibe – like old sleds, wagons, milk cans, and even a wooden rocking chair (or two) and a cozy plaid cushion or pillow on the seat.
4. Don’t neglect the general maintenance
Decorating is the fun part, there’s no denying that. However, all of the hard work you may have put into designing the perfect yard, it’ll be a waste if general yard maintenance isn’t done. As boring and tedious as it may be, you have to keep the yard nice and tidy.
This means pruning overgrown bushes and shrubs, raking up any leaves, picking up fallen limbs, and even pulling out dead flowers. Oh! And when it snows, don’t forget to keep the driveway, walkways and sidewalk in front of the yard free of snow. If there are buyers coming to see your home after snowfall, be sure to throw down a little salt to prevent these areas from icing over; and be sure to have a welcome mat at the front door so they can keep the salt outside!
Selling your house can be tricky during the winter, but rest assured that when your house has impeccable curb appeal, you’re sure to get a lot of action! Who knows, your house may be sold within days of being put on the market – all thanks to a well maintained yard and thoughtful design.