While winter may not be the most popular time of year to sell, savvy sellers can use the season to their advantage.

Here are some tips for the winter sale:

1. Make it warm, welcoming and cosy
When the sky is grey and the temperature chilly, there’s nothing like entering a warm, welcoming home with decor that creates the right ambience to make potential buyers feel at home. Touches like throw rugs and homewares in warm, earthy colours will add to the atmosphere. If you have a fireplace or underfloor heating, use these features to your advantage. Just don’t over-heat the home.

2. Plan open home times strategically
If your main living space is flooded with natural light mid morning, that would be the best time to have your open homes, not when you have to turn all the lights on.

3. Make the most of less competition
With fewer people on the market it’s so much easier to stand out from the competition. Remember, while the buyer pool may be smaller, those that are looking to purchase in winter are generally more serious contenders. So take advantage of having your home beautifully presented and professionally marketed to capture the attention of those serious buyers.

4. Pay attention to the little touches
There will be times when it’s unavoidable for inspections to occur on overcast, wet, windy days. Ensure the entry to your home is well lit on overcast days and provide a sturdy doormat for people to wipe their feet on before entering your home. An umbrella stand and coat rack are also nice, practical touches. Place a couple of umbrellas in the stand for people to use when checking out the garden if they don’t have their own.

Play your cards right and you will find winter can be a wonderful and profitable time of year to sell.