Before Selling, How to Improve Your Home In the Winter

Whether you plan on selling your home in the spring or not winter really is the ideal time for inside work to our rooms and houses. I always tuck into winter with a serious to-do list no matter how much I would rather be hibernating! Over the holidays is the worst for me as December for us doesn’t see more than 8 hours of day light a day and getting home when its dark at 5pm really just makes a person want to do absolutely nothing besides curling up under a fuzzy blanket. Regardless though, when January finally rolls around its time to get motivated for some house projects!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

The cold winter days are enough to make any homeowner want to curl up on the couch and avoid any home improvement projects until the spring. 

As tempting as that sounds, you may want to reconsider. It turns out that wintertime can be an ideal time to tackle certain home maintenance and improvements—especially if you’re planning on selling your home in the spring. 

Why? For one thing, you’ll almost certainly have an easier time finding and scheduling a contractor. According to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights Report for Q3 of 2019, 91 percent of real estate agents report that builders and contractors are busiest in the spring and summer. That means you’ll have your pick of who you want to work on your home and, likely, when you want them to do it. 

What’s more, because the demand for work is so much lower in the winter months, you’ll also save money on labor and supplies. And since you’ll be spending more time in your home while it’s cold out anyway, why not use that time to get everything in order? 

Here are a few of the best winter home improvement projects to keep you busy until spring arrives. 

Replace old weatherstripping.

Replacing old weatherstripping around doors and windows is one of the easiest and least expensive projects you can tackle, while also offering a great return on investment (ROI). 

By sealing up cracks and gaps around your home’s openings to the outside, you’ll be increasing your home’s heating and cooling efficiency. In fact, according to HomeAdvisor, air leaks from doors and windows can account for up to 40 percent of the heating and cooling loss in your home. Having this done will be a great selling feature!

Paint your interior.

If you’re planning on repainting any rooms before listing your home, winter is the perfect time to get started. For one thing, you’ll be inside the entire time, which is definitely a perk when it’s cold outside! 

If your home is going on the market, you’ll want to choose soft, neutral colors like creams or  grays. These colors allow potential buyers to more easily see themselves—and their stuff—in your home, making it more likely that you’ll sell quickly. 

However, if you are unsure of what colors to pick, or designs to go with, consider seeking help from a remodeling contractor, Lakeside Renovation & Design. This will improve the appearance of your home, and also add more value.

Declutter your living areas. 

One of the most effective and satisfying home improvement projects you can complete before selling your home is a full decluttering. 

Now, anyone who’s tried to declutter their home can tell you that while it’s true that the concept is simple, actually doing it is a bit more complicated. However, if you embrace a system and go room-by-room, and give yourself a realistic amount of time to complete it, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get rid of and how much better you feel afterward. 

What’s more, decluttering will also allow you to prepare your home for sale with cozy staging, like adding warm blankets and throw pillows to your seating, increasing your natural light replacing heavy curtains with sheer ones, and adding shaggy rugs to warm up the floors. 

Wintertime doesn’t have to be a time for hibernating, especially when you’re getting ready to sell your home. By tackling these winter home improvement projects, you’ll have a head start on selling once spring does arrive. 

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)