Keep This in Mind Before Buying a House in the Winter
Bad weather can make finding a home for the winter extremely stressful. We can’t make it warmer, but here are a few things to consider if you’re buying a home during the winter months.
Get to know the winter market
According to Rocket Homes , there’s less competition in the winter, so this might be the best time to speed up your search. A bidding war is less likely in winter, and successfully accepting an offer may be easier than if you wait until summer.
Prices may even be lower because sellers are also dealing with fewer leads, but you also have to remember that there is a reason other potential buyers don’t get to grips with you: Winter is a busy time full of holidays and family activities. . These factors will also affect the availability of sellers and real estate agents, so the process may not go as fast as you would like.
“Typically, the real estate market slows down in December when real estate agents close for Christmas and homeowners put off moving plans until the New Year. Don’t worry if you notice that there are fewer properties on the market. Things are looking up in January,” says Steve Mariner, director of real estate sales at David Wilson Homes .
Double-check the house, especially in winter
In an ideal world, you always want to inspect a house a few times before agreeing to live in it for years and invest all your money in it, but that’s not always possible when you’re in a hurry and competing with a bunch of other bidders. . With the winter season slowing down, you have a slightly better chance of seeing a property multiple times.
According to Mariner, it’s “even more important” to double-check the house in the winter because you want to see how dark it gets in the early afternoon and find out how it feels at night. Visiting a home in winter has several advantages over visiting it in summer. Symptoms of malfunction, especially due to water and weather, may be more obvious.
“Especially when looking at old objects, you should look out for peeling wallpaper, dark spots on the paintwork or excessive condensation on the windows. Dampness also has a characteristic musty smell, so keep an eye on that as well,” said Mariner.
Weather may affect closure
Keep your timing flexible as winter weather can really mess things up. For example, some inspections may not be possible due to bad weather, which may result in a delay in closing. Communicate with your real estate agent frequently to prevent any unexpected robberies.