6 reasons why winter is a great time to buy a home.
It’s time to chill out and embrace the winter home buying season. Forget what you’ve always heard about happy homebuyers flocking to purchase their dream homes only as the birds chirp or as the leaves turn colorful. Throw on your scarf and winter coat, because here are six reasons why winter is a great time to buy your home:
That means you likely can spend more time looking over a home to make sure you want to buy it. You can look closely at the size and structure of the kitchen, where your favorite painting could be hung in the living room and whether the master bedroom has enough closet space. In general, you can be more selective about the home you buy.
In fact, make sure to check out how long the home has already been listed — if it’s been many months, the sellers may be at the point of being willing to accept a surprisingly low offer, even if it’s not quite what they hoped for.
You can even ask the owner to light a fire to make sure the fireplace works properly. It should put your mind at ease that you’ll face few if any surprises in terms of how the house operates once you move in.
Overall, that adds up to a quicker closing than any other time of year. And if the home is as good as you think it is, you’ll be much happier enjoying its amenities as soon as possible.
Since it’s never easy to time the market, focusing on the time of year where you have as many advantages as possible makes the most sense — and that time is winter. So don’t get cold feet — start planning your winter home purchase today.
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1. Shop without the frenzy
There’s less competition for buyers in the winter. According to the National Association of Realtors, transactions typically slow down in the winter; along with November, the winter months of December, January and February are the slowest months of the year for home purchases. How leisurely are these months? Compared to peak season, housing sales can decline more than 30 percent.That means you likely can spend more time looking over a home to make sure you want to buy it. You can look closely at the size and structure of the kitchen, where your favorite painting could be hung in the living room and whether the master bedroom has enough closet space. In general, you can be more selective about the home you buy.
2. Save money on your purchase
The lack of buyers in the winter means bidding wars are highly unlikely, and you may be able to negotiate a price to your liking. They may even be willing to relax some of the contingencies to get you into the house or agree to your move-in date even if that means they are forced to depart earlier than expected.3. Sellers are eager to unload their home
Sellers are unlikely to be deluged with people interested in buying, so you have the upper hand as they want to start enjoying the holiday season without visitors as quickly as possible.In fact, make sure to check out how long the home has already been listed — if it’s been many months, the sellers may be at the point of being willing to accept a surprisingly low offer, even if it’s not quite what they hoped for.
4. See the home under extreme conditions
Though it sounds treacherous, there are advantages to enduring the elements to see a house. On the outside, you can check out the curb appeal when nature is not helping the perception. Inside, you can see how the mechanical systems hold up under extreme weather conditions. You’ll see if any leaks are dripping from the ceiling from snow stuck on the roof.You can even ask the owner to light a fire to make sure the fireplace works properly. It should put your mind at ease that you’ll face few if any surprises in terms of how the house operates once you move in.
5. Enjoy fast closings
All parties involved in the homebuying process are less busy than they would be during other seasons. When you consider how many steps are involved with buying a house, this is great news.Overall, that adds up to a quicker closing than any other time of year. And if the home is as good as you think it is, you’ll be much happier enjoying its amenities as soon as possible.
6. Move in quickly
While it may not be much fun to see your furniture come inside your new home covered with snow, it will be much easier to hire movers in the winter than during any other time of year. They will be eager to have a job during such a slow season.Since it’s never easy to time the market, focusing on the time of year where you have as many advantages as possible makes the most sense — and that time is winter. So don’t get cold feet — start planning your winter home purchase today.
We're here to help. Contact us today to get started!