WINTER LISTING

I know…I said the bad thing. We’ve all been told that listing your house for sale in the wintertime is a bad idea because of this, that or the other thing - however it’s been spilled to you.

But guess what? We can’t always control the timing of our lives and sometimes there isn’t another option but to list in the “off-season”… also sometimes we are just ready when we’re ready and we don’t really care what time of year it is because we’re ready now.

That’s ok - you’ve heard all of the negatives about trying to sell your house in the “ber” (brrrrrr) months but if you know me, you know I definitely didn’t show up on your screen to discourage you, that’s not my game.

I, my friend, am here to flex the bright side muscle and tell you why listing your house for sale in the winter can actually be a good thing. Heck, by the time I’m done with you, you might even consider it to be a full out advantage - there are positives and negatives to everything.

Because what you focus on expands, if you’re listing (or thinking of listing) your house this winter - here’s a nice list of reasons why winter listing could actually work out in your favor:

1.) SLIM PICKINGS. Winter often equals scarcity - that means slim pickings and what it means for you is less competition. Just like your life happened, and you needed to list your house in the wintertime - other people’s lives are happening too, and they need to buy in the winter. Perhaps the stars will align.

2.) HOLIDAY STAGING. The people in this town start decorating for Christmas, even before Halloween! Do I agree with that logic, absolutely not - but on December 1 when I do finally throw that tree up, it basically transforms my house. Holiday staging is warm and welcoming, it brings feelings of family and home…seems like the perfect opportunity to invite strangers in and make them want to stick around, no?

3.) MOTIVATED BUYERS. We touched on this a bit when we talked about life happening to everybody. Wintertime buyers are usually motivated to get moving and probably sooner than later - and almost for-sure-tainly before Christmas, please and thank you.

Let’s also give a shout-out to those buyers who are consistently watching the market, even when it has slowed down. Skulking in the shadows, waiting for the right house to show up for sale, ready to pounce on the opportunity regardless of the time of year. Just saying - they’re watching. They’re always watching.

4.) WE’RE CANADIAN. Well, where I’m located - we’re Canadian. Winter is literally a part of our identity around here. Selling your house during the one season that basically defines us is the perfect time to showcase how equipped for the nasty weather the house truly is. That beautiful wood burning stove never looked so damn good as it does when it’s below thirty.

5.) YOUR REALTOR®. It’s true that the market slows down over the winter, I would never deny that fact BUT here comes the sun: in a slower market, your Realtor® is going to have more time to focus on your listing. They will most likely have less listings during the wintertime than any other time of year, they will most likely have less buyers (but the ones they do have are generally motivated) and all of that means that they will have more time and energy to put towards selling your house - maybe even a bigger advertising budget too, if you’re lucky!

6.) HOLIDAYS. Many people take time off during the holidays and in the winter months - house shopping is more fun when you don’t have to schedule it around your work day.

7.) BONUSES. Usually if you’re the kind of person who receives a bonus at your job - this happens around Christmastime or early in the New Year. Do you smell that? Smells like a down payment.

8.) BABIES. Not sure if you knew this, but September is the busiest month for newborns and it sure as heck doesn’t take long, after a new baby joins the family, to realize that you need more space… I guess those new parents better start looking for a bigger house.

Winter listing is not all poo-poo and no-no.

Sometimes when we get under the impression that having to list our homes in the winter months is like a real estate death sentence, we just need to remember that there are positives and negatives to everything.

What will you choose to focus on this winter?

BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

Counting down the days to closing can be so exciting and a little bit frustrating, all at once!

In the days before moving into your home and the day of, you might be wondering if there’s anything else you should be doing - other than packing, of course. Instead of feeling like you must be missing something or frustrated that you’re unsure in the first place, check out this handy dandy little list of things you could do before you gain possession of your home and before you actually move into it:

1. Transfer your utilities - This is totally something that can be done beforehand, all you have to do is contact the service providers and let them know that as of “closing day” you will be taking over the electricity, gas, water/sewer, internet/phone etc… they will either switch the services over as of “closing day” or schedule a time with you to come by and get set up once closing day comes around.

2. Safety First - Take a walk around your local hardware store or hit up the internet for some new safety gear for the house. I would always recommend keeping a first-aid kit in your home, purchasing a new fire extinguisher (because they absolutely do expire), CO2 detector and smoke alarm. You can get a twofer (that’s two for one) CO2 and smoke detector if that’s what you’re into.

3. Change your address - In the days leading up to homeownership you can call or go online and change your mailing address. You might consider contacting your bank, cell phone service provider, your job… if you’re old school like me and a huge fan of snail mail, you can get some cards printed off that say “we’ve moved” or something quirky and send to all your family and friends with your new address on them. When we moved out of our first house we printed off a photo of our daughter in a moving box - was fun to make and fun to send. So that’s fun. Another thing that I’d recommend doing is contacting your postal service and having your mail forwarded from your old address to your new address for 1 year. Sometimes we don’t remember where all of our mail comes from so in that year, as each piece of mail comes in - contact the sender and provide them with your new address. After a year, you should be all sorted out.

4. Change the locks and/or door codes - This doesn’t mean that you have to go out and buy all new hardware, unless you want to. You can contact your local locksmith and have your existing locks rekeyed and codes changed. I googled it and the google machine told me that you can expect this service to cost anywhere around $100-$250. I bet your Realtor® has a number or two you could call to help you with that.

5. Deeeeeeeep Clean - IF you never had it written into the terms of your offer that your new home be professionally cleaned prior to closing day, I would highly recommend making sure that you give yourself some time to make sure that you (or a professional) can get that place smelling lemony fresh before all of your stuff is in the way. It’s just so much easier that way.

6. Go even deeper - Consider having the ducts and dryer vents cleaned out or, at the very least, purchase a new furnace filter (consider buying in bulk and save some moola). They aren’t budget breakers and should really be changed quarterly - I can’t say enough about indoor air quality, especially if you have some little ones shredding around!

7. Painting and Flooring - if you have any plans to paint or change the flooring in the new digs, I promise you it will be much easier before you have all of your things moved in and set up.

Some other handy little tips (that won’t really seem handy until you need them) are to take the time to go through label your electrical panel if it isn’t already correctly done. Like I say, until you actually need to know where everything is on the panel - it won’t seem that important. Find your water and gas shut-off valves. In an emergency you are most certainly going to be better off knowing. If you were wise and got a proper home inspection done, the inspector may have already tagged and labeled these items for you (bonus) - I know my go-to guy does this and it is just a lovely surprise each time I see those labels. Lastly:

Celebrate! We have a special little ritual that we do in our family…we have a huge family, and we move A LOT so each time one of us moves into a new home we do, what we call - Pizza on the Floor. Sometimes we literally sit on the floor and eat pizza, depending on the circumstances but when I was married into the family, I learned about the pizza deal and we have always carried it on and it shared it with the people we know and love. It’s our way of saying, “Yep. This is our house now.” Whatever you decide to do to really seal the deal on the new place, make sure it’s special because CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve officially just moved into your new home!

DREAMING OF A HOME ON THE LAKE?

I doubt that it's rare to imagine yourself living where you vacation while you're vacationing but what is investing in a (recreational or) full-time lakeside residence really worth?

When my parents decided to sell their house in town and move out to their summertime home full-time, they were consistently asked, “why?” I will answer that question for you from the perspective of their daughter, but I also want to address it as a Real Estate Professional because there is value either way you look at it.

If you set the actual property itself aside and consider the benefits of surrounding yourself with nature, there is no denying the personal value lake life has to offer. Not only is there always something to do during the summer months like kayaking, fishing, scenic walks, water sports and diving but also there are plenty of wintertime activities such as ice fishing, skating, snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Beyond all of that physical activity, let's acknowledge mental health and witness the way a body of water, wildlife and mature trees create a peaceful environment which reduces stress, provides clean, fresh air and has less of that urban noise - all of which also contribute to a better night's sleep. Dig a little deeper and appreciate the sense of pride in community all of the residents, seasonal and permanent, share. Relationships built around the “in common” of location and lifestyle can be rich and lifelong - having the kind of home where people love to gather doesn't hurt either. My parents are busy all of the time with their jobs, their business and generous amount of grandchildren (three of which are mine - you're welcome, guys). When life is a fast paced, mad dash a home that contributes to physical, mental and emotional well-being is an invaluable asset.

Speaking of assets, typically lake front properties are worth more than properties that are not. This means that while your initial investment may be greater for this type of home, it will also likely have a greater appreciation and therefore a greater return. My parents purchased their cabin as a recreational property which was a significant investment at the time however, 7 or 8 years later it has nearly doubled in value. From a Realtor's perspective, that is a key point and a major positive when investing your money in this type of real estate because the value already exists and likely, more awaits.

If I was your Realtor I'd suggest that before you throw your money at any lakeside property you consider the following: the dwelling itself, condition and orientation on the lot, the actual lot, if there is room to grow and adapt, modern conveniences; water and sewer, proximity to other services etc. Don't forget about the lake either! Each one is different from the next. Some are sandy, some are weedy. Some are busy and some are really quiet. Is the fishing good and can you keep the fish? The point is to identify what your needs are first and then see if the lake you're considering qualifies - it is no fun living at a lake you can fish in if your Evinrude 250 HO is sitting in the driveway because you didn't know that gas motors aren't permitted on that particular body of water.

Needless to say, there is an abundance of value in owning a lake front spot as long as you're taking the necessary steps to ensure that you find the one that best suits your needs personally and financially. In doing so, your overall health, wellness and maybe even your wallet will thank you. All in all, I'd say my answer to the question about why my parents would move out to the lake is, “why not?”