So, you’re thinking of trying to beat the competitiveness of the spring market and are going to buy a home in the winter market – great idea! BUT! The winter market does come with its own set of unique “challenges.” Below are the four key points to consider when shopping in the winter market.
The house hunt may take longer. This isn’t always true, but it’s a good expectation to set! Typically, less homes hit the market in the winter months making your options slimmer. This is especially true around the holidays, the market seems to come to a halt!
Expect low visibility of the home’s exterior. The winter months bring some unique showing experiences. Expect to not have a great picture of the home’s exterior, specifically the lawn, landscaping, grade, and even the roof. If there is snow on the ground chances are we won’t be able to see a lot of the yard and the shingles might be covered. We can still do some investigating to try to determine the roof’s age using tools like researching old permit records and reading the seller’s disclosure.
Home inspections look a bit different. While home inspections are still thorough, the winter comes with some limitations for inspectors. Most home inspectors won’t go on roofs in the winter months for safety reasons. They also won’t be able to run your air conditioner due to the frigid temps, but thankfully we will be able to see if the home’s heating system is working! It’s also harder to check for elevated moisture levels in basements during the dry winter months, but we can check for some visible clues that might mean elevated moisture levels like staining on the ground/walls, excess buildup of efflorescence on walls, staining on any wooden structures/shelves in the basement, poor exterior water management, etc.
Daylight hours are short, plan accordingly. While it can be tough to navigate work schedules and showings, I strongly recommend trying to see homes in daylight (especially ones you’re really excited about). Touring a home in the dark is a completely different experience and often results in a second showing in the daylight. Rarely do I have clients buy a home they have only seen in the dark. It’s much harder to see the home’s exterior condition as well, even if your Realtor does bring their trusty flashlight!
I discuss these exact four points in every new client meeting during the winter months. As long as you have the above expectations in place, the winter can be a great time to buy a home! There is typically much less competition, sellers can be very motivated, and you can get some pretty great deals!