Real Estate Broker Reveals How To Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers—Especially in Colder Months

A Florida real estate broker has revealed a list of tips for how homeowners can make their properties more appealing to prospective buyers—particularly in the colder months.

Chris Schwarz, a broker who owns White Whale Real Estate in the Daytona, FL, area, revealed his simple, yet effective, advice in a YouTube video. In it, he details how people can spruce up their homes to lure buyers.

But first, he says, it’s important to establish why you are putting your house on the market, and whether the time is truly right for you to sell.

“We always get asked, ‘Is it a good time to sell?’ And yes, there may be a better time to sell than not, but the most important question to ask yourself is what your goals are, and what you are trying to do for you and your family,” he explains.

If you are eager to sell your house because you already have your sights set on another location, he says, then the best way to see whether your home is going to be a hit is to put it on the market.

“A home can’t sell unless it’s listed and people know it’s for sale,” he points out.

But once you have made the decision to list your home, there are a number of simple ways to ensure that it catches the eye of prospective buyers.

Warm lighting is a winner

The first of Schwarz’s tips? Focus on warm lighting in the home.

“First up, let’s talk about lighting. So as the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, lighting plays a huge role in how [homebuyers] are going to perceive your home when they show up to it,” he says.

“So as we know in the fall time, we have limited natural light and we really need to make up for that by having warm, cozy, natural lighting on the inside of the home.”

He advises replacing harsh cool-tone lightbulbs with soft white bulbs to “create a cozy, warm, welcoming atmosphere, which is exactly what buyers are looking for.”

Adding floor or table lamps to key areas of your home can also “help eliminate any of the dark corners that you may have,” he says.

Make a fun first impression—but keep it tasteful

Outside, Schwarz urges homeowners to consider adding lighted pathways or even hanging string lights to create an inviting, fun atmosphere.

“The overall thing that you’re trying to do is make your home feel inviting and welcoming to the buyer, making them feel comfortable and painting the picture of allowing them to see themselves living there,” he says.

Outdoor in general and seasonal decor is also important, he says. While holiday decorations are fine to have, they should be tasteful and low-key, especially when it comes to more dramatic celebrations like Halloween.

“One of the great things that you can do to keep up with a home appeal for your house is doing some nice tasteful decor outside. So don’t make it super crazy. Don’t make it super scary. If you have the scariest house on the block, people are not going to want to come to it,” he says.

“They’re not going to want to come check it out. They’re going to think it’s cluttered and probably not the best house for them.”

He recommends adding pumpkins and nice fall-colored plants to make the outside area of the home more tasteful and inviting.

Inside, Schwarz suggests adding throw blankets and pillows in a variety of fall hues, like mustard, yellow, burnt orange, and deep red.

“Those things will go a long way in helping accent the home,” he says.

Adding seasonal centerpieces is also a winner with buyers, he says, “like a bowl of fresh apples or a vase full of fall-colored flowers.”

Neaten things up

Tidy up the house inside and out, he continues.

“You want to make sure your home is tidy and good to go and people are going to show up to see the outside of your house starting out,” he says.

“The few big things here are going to be making sure your lawn is maintained and manicured throughout. Your gutters are clean. This is a big one a lot of people forget, but it does make a big difference when people show up and there’s overflowing dead leaves and whatever else that collects in gutters,” he says.

More advice includes a freshly painted front door.

“This one is huge and can go a long way. I mean, think about it: You’re walking up to a house for the very first time and you show up to a busted ugly door that’s beat down and just looks bad. It’s going to give off a bad impression,” he warns.

“And when people think something looks ugly from the outside, they’re already thinking in their mind it’s going to be ugly in the inside.”

Energy efficiency during the winter months is a big concern for people, so Schwarz says to point out programmable thermostats and any insulation you might have.

“It could be the deciding factor whether they want to purchase that home or another one based on how much money they’ll be able to save overall on a monthly basis,” he says.

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