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Brrrring it on: Expert tips on buying and selling a home in winter
From inspections to snowfall to holiday decor, how to make the most out of market.
The holiday season is typically not the best time to sell or buy a home in New England. Doing so during the winter months can be a challenge, but it can be done.
“I will say that it is always still a good time to list, because, generally speaking, sellers have less competition during that time frame,” said Amy Wallick, a realtor with Lamacchia Realty and president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.
Turns out, a seller’s market is a seller’s market regardless of the weather.
The Massachusetts market starts picking up in March, Wallick said, but even if it is not as active during the winter, there still is a “ pretty consistent level of demand.”
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If you are thinking of buying or selling a home this winter, here are some things to keep in mind:
Sellers
The most significant challenge is snow.
“If a seller is in a position to do that, you can get exterior photographs taken prior to the snow falling,” she said.
She underscored the importance of planning ahead.
“It is just always important to be prepared to show your home and make sure that your walkways and your driveways are clear of snow,” Wallick said. You want prospective buyers to be able to walk around the property safely.
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Staging is also an important aspect of selling your home.
“Less is always more when staging a home,” Wallick said. Sellers should start packing things they don’t use daily, she added, because “you want the buyer to be able to come in and experience and visualize themselves in the home and see it as if it was theirs.” (It is also important to make sure that the home is at a comfortable temperature at all times.)
“If you’re selling around the holidays there is a certain level of holiday decor that’s appropriate,” she said.
A front lawn that is full of inflatables or a house totally covered in Christmas lights are examples of overwhelming decor, according to Wallick.
Going away for the holidays? If your home is going to be vacant, someone should be checking it regularly, she added.
Buyers
Harold Popp, a Greater Boston home inspector, said snow cover is the biggest challenge to buying and selling in the winter because there are things it can hide.
Popp said it’s difficult to assess the condition of a roof covered in snow. One way around that is an offer in which the “sale is contingent upon a successful inspection of the roof when conditions allow,” he said. That rarely happens in practice, however, he said. “People today, pretty much they’re lucky they can even get a home inspection.”
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Liz Martin, another Massachusetts-based licensed home inspector, agreed that snow can complicate a buy.
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It can very hard to see the exterior foundation, the landscaping, how far the gutters extend out into the yard, where the termination of the sump pump is, and more, Martin said.
Martin said she encourages buyers to ask the sellers for information about the property and request the responses in writing. “While a home inspector might not be able to see a roof, the seller should be able to provide information on the age of the roof,” she said.
Snow may hide a roof’s issues, but winter is a good time to have the heating system checked.
“I always encourage home buyers to have their heating system inspected by either a plumber if it’s a boiler or an HVAC person if it’s a furnace,” Martin said.
Buyers should also be looking for pests, such as mice. Rodents tend to seek refuge in the homes during winter months, Popp said. “They’ll find a way in, and you can get mice that come into the basement or the attic, and in some cases, you might even see one pop up in the kitchen.”
Even squirrels can get into the attic and cause “incredible amounts of damage as they try to gnaw their way out,” he said.
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While there are measures that can be taken to ensure a seamless buying process during the winter, both recommended getting home inspections before buying.
“Just because we live in a house, it doesn’t mean we understand how they work or what to look for,” Martin said.
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