Selling your Toronto home can be complex at any time of year. Listing your home in the fall and winter months comes with additional factors to consider thanks to the weather and typical buyer attitudes during these seasons. Keep reading to learn our 5 tips for selling Toronto real estate in fall and winter.
1. Summer marketing
Just because you’re selling your house in the colder months, doesn’t mean you can’t showcase what it’s like in the spring and summer. Working with an experienced realtor will have you planning your property sale as far in advance as possible. Use this to your advantage when preparing the marketing materials for your listing.
- Take listing photos in the warmer months. Highlight the backyard or wrap around porch, show how the home fills the large windows with summer light, feature photos of the deck and barbecue or garden. Help buyers visualize themselves in the space year-round.
- Feature 3-D virtual and video tours in spring/summer. Pictures say a thousand words, but videos tell all. Capturing immersive lifestyle videos of your property when it’s sunny and filled with greenery is sure to draw buyers in.
2. General home maintenance
During the colder months it’s important that you take extra care to make any repairs and ensure your home is properly winterized.
- Fix and seal any drafty windows or doors.
- Check that your furnace and heating systems are running well.
- Be sure the home is properly insulated.
Buyers need to feel like they’re walking into their future home. Ensuring they enter into a warm, fully-functional house is the first step.
Discover our comprehensive, first-class selling services here.
3. Curb appeal counts
It’s much easier to maintain curb appeal when it’s warm outside. When selling in the colder seasons, this is something that needs extra attention. The market is already slower in fall and winter and buyers are less as enthusiastic about showings. But you can stand out.
- Power wash your home. If you know you’ll be selling later in the year, schedule some time to do an end-of-summer cleaning so that your home is refreshed for the time you plan to list.
- Refresh the garden. Replace mulch, plant seasonal greenery, trim, prune, and spruce.
- Rake the leaves. While the changing colours are beautiful on the tree, you don’t want your property to look unkempt with piles of leaves covering the ground.
- Clear the snow. Ensure all driveways, pathways, sidewalks, porches, decks, stairs, etc. are clean and clear of snow and ice, and arrange outdoor furniture if the weather allows. The home looks presentable to buyers, and they can get a better feel for the space.
Get a property evaluation with our team here.
4. Invest in good lighting
Take advantage of daylight and schedule showings as early as possible. Open the blinds and curtains to let all the natural sunlight filter in. Invest in quality lighting that will liven and brighten the space.
You’ll also want to ensure the exterior of your property is well lit. Consider investing in landscape lighting, and keep the lights on the porch, deck, walkway, backyard, etc. turned on so buyers can easily spot your home, and maneuver through the property.
Book a consultation to discuss your selling options here.
5. Create the ambience
During spring and summer, the seasons lend to a comfortable showing experience. In the fall and winter especially, it’s important to be proactive about creating a welcoming environment.
- Temperature. Keep the indoor temperature warm (but not hot) so buyers feel relieved when they walk into your home from a brisk fall day or cold winter evening.
- Scent. Fill the space with a delightful (but not overpowering) scent to create a relaxed atmosphere that encourages a connection to the home. Think cinnamon, pumpkin, and woody scents.
- Aesthetics. Consider seasonal decor and cozy accessories. Fall and winter present a unique opportunity to adorn your space with holiday aesthetics that will help buyers feel at home. And there’s no need to over-do it, something as simple as a holiday wreath, inviting candles, thick blankets and soft pillows, or season-specific colour palettes can do the trick.
Selling your home is part art and science. Following these 5 steps will ensure that your home stands out against the competition in the fall and winter when the market tends to slow.
Partnering with Atrie Group, we’ll help you prepare, stage, and sell your home with the ease and expertise of decades representing Toronto real estate sales. Call or email us to connect with our team today and see how we’ll help you get the most money for your home.
Get Our Newsletter
And get ahead of Toronto real estate. We share regular updates about listings, market changes, and more.