While viewing prospective homes during the winter certainly isn’t as pleasant as during a balmy Spring day, it can be a great time because more of the home’s flaws can become apparent – just like viewing during a heavy rain.
It’s “darn cold” today! I showed homes over the weekend when it was also “darn cold”. You just have to be prepared for it. Here’s some suggestions:
- Dress for warmth because if you’re like me, you WILL get chilled.
- Wear boots that are easy to remove because you should take them off at the front door. Wear warm socks or bring small slippers to put on, especially if you’ll be viewing unoccupied homes.
- Wearing boots is better than regular shoes because as we continue to get snowfall, there may be unshoveled snow on the drive or sidewalk. You don’t want to risk falling.
- If the home is occupied, the interior will probably be warm. If it’s not occupied, often sellers minimize the heat settings on the furnace. Generally, the temp will be set in the low 60′s, but I have shown homes with the temp set in the 50′s. That can make the interior rather chilly, so dress warm.
- If you’ll be viewing unoccupied homes, count on the plumbing having been winterized. That means that there will be no running water available which means no emergency use of the toilets. Just as your Mom used to say, use a restroom before you leave.
- You may want to have a flashlight available in your car in case the light bulbs in an unoccupied home have burnt out. Agents often keep flashlights in their cars for situations like this, but have your own just in case.
- Cold weather is a good time to check the effectiveness of the windows or areas where you’ll need to caulk or insulate. I showed a new-build one time where the wind was blowing in from ill-fitting windows. For a $300K plus price, that was unacceptable and an indication of the builder’s quality.
- When there’s 6-8″ of snow on the ground, there is a tendency for buyers to avoid walking around the outside of the home. If you find you’re interested in the home after viewing the inside, be sure to trudge through the snow to check the outside as well.
- While you may not be able to see the roof very well, you can look at the gutters for icicles which can indicate a possibility of ice dams from the roof.
- Sloped drives can present problems. In fairness, remember that once you buy the home, you’ll be driving into the garage rather than getting out of the car on the driveway. The advantage to a sloped drive is that the snow will melt and run down to the street.
If you’ve decided you want to view homes now, give me a call. I’ve got my duck boots, warm gloves, and ScoobyDoo earmuffs ready.
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