5 DIY Ways to Stage Your Home’s Exterior for Winter Home Selling

Winter can be a tough time of year to sell your home, particularly in areas that see colder or inclement weather. The biggest issue that homeowners face in attempting to sell at this time of year, is the curb appeal; with piles of snow and no leaves on the trees, it can be hard to show your home in its best light.

There are ways that you can help to improve your home’s appearance, however, no matter what time of year you put it on the market. These 5 DIY tips for staging your home’s exterior for winter selling will help you make that crucial first impression that buyers are looking for.

Get the Snow Off

Buyers want to see the condition of your home, including areas like the porch, outdoor deck, and roof, which may all be areas where the snow collects during the winter months. Keeping these areas free of snow and ice means that buyers can get a better sense of what your home really looks like. It also means that they can get a better idea of things like your roofing shingles and their condition.

Removing snow from these areas also has the added benefit of making your home appear well maintained. You want to remove snow any way to help protect your roof from leaks and ice dams; by taking the snow off before a showing, you let buyers know the home is being cared for.

Add Some Greenery

During the summer months, your yard and landscaping are in full bloom and can help improve your curb appeal. During the winter months, however, when everything is brown or leafless, this can have the opposite effect of what you want from buyer’s first impressions.

Purchase some greenery in urns to place around your front door and walkway. Evergreen plants in large tubs that can be brought out for a showing can help recreate the effect of well-maintained landscaping. Anywhere your home or yard looks a little barren at this time of year is a great place to add some greens to help brighten things up.

Add Exterior Lights

The days are shorter during the winter months, which means that buyers arriving in the late afternoon or evening to view your home may not see it in the best light. Add some solar lights to the walkway leading up to your house, and consider swapping out the bulbs in any sconces you have next to the door for full spectrum lights.

Full spectrum lights will help ensure your house siding color looks more the way that it does when the sun is hitting it, which can help buyers get a better idea of what your home will look like in other times of year. If you don’t have lights currently installed, consider adding temporary solar lights that will turn on when people walk by to illuminate the front of your home more effectively.

Brighten Up Your Front Door

While the winter months aren’t the best time to give a new coat of paint to your house siding, it’s not a bad idea to freshen up your front door color. A bright, cheerful front door can go a long way toward making your home look more inviting, no matter how cold or dismal the weather is.

Look for a house color that’s a little bolder than you would ordinarily choose, as you want it to show up even in the poor light of winter. Reds, turquoise blue, and even orange are good colors to paint your front door in the winter months.

Take Down the Holiday Decorations

Many people assume that leaving up decorations from late fall or the winter holidays will help make the home more lived in and therefore more appealing. Surprisingly though, many buyers don’t want to see these things; they want to envision what the house will look like when they move in. While it’s fine to have a wreath hanging on the door in December, make sure that come January the house is free of lights and garlands to ensure that buyers aren’t put off.

Get Your Home Ready for Sale

It doesn’t take much to get your home looking its best even in the winter months. Follow these tips to help improve your home’s exterior and get the quick sale you’re after, even in the colder months of the year.

About Author:  Matt Lee is the founder of Lead Generation Experts. Founded in 2012, Lead Generation Experts helps building materials manufacturers improve their digital marketing strategy.