Brrr… ❄️ It’s getting cold outside! Winter’s coming and this weather makes everyone want to just stay at home and laze around - including home buyers and home sellers.

or most home sellers, winter is not a convenient time to sell a home. The cold weather makes your home feel gloomy and it’s time consuming to work on real estate deals during the holidays. People tend to get busy and buying a home isn’t just part of their Christmas plans, or is it?

If you are a seller who plans on selling your home this winter, don’t be disheartened by these hearsays as we are here to debunk 5 myths about selling your home in the winter.

Myth #1 - No one looks for homes in winter.

Reality - There are still buyers looking for homes during winter.

If a person really wants to buy a home, he/she will look for a home regardless of the season. Furthermore, buyers who will brave the cold weather and the busy holidays to find a home are eager buyers. He/She must be looking, despite the holidays, because he/she needs it now. You are more likely to close the deal with this kind of homebuyer. Who knows? Maybe you will actually be able to sell your home faster during the winter.

Myth #2 - The market during winter is unfavorable to sellers.

Reality - There’s less inventory during winter which makes it favorable to sellers.

Since the general knowledge among sellers is that winter is a bad time to sell your home, most people opt to avoid selling during this time. Hence, there will be fewer listings. This means that when you list your home during winter, there’ll be less competition. Buyers will have fewer options to consider which gives you higher chances to get a sale. So selling during winter can actually be favorable to sellers.

Myth #3 - It’s hard to stage your home during winter.

Reality - You can take advantage of the cold weather to make the place look homier.

Winter weather is gloomy. It’s cold and it’s hard to highlight the best features of your home because of all the snow and the lack of good lighting. But you can actually turn things around with just some creativity!

Use the winter weather to make your home more cozy and homey. When staging your home, bring out the blankets, throw pillows, and add some scented candles. Embrace the holiday spirit and incorporate them into your home decor. You can utilize the cold weather and the holiday season to make your place more home-like. It can help provide potential buyers with a glimpse of what it’s like to live in your home.

Myth #4 - Buyers are not that motivated to buy a home during the holidays.

Reality - The holidays are usually the time when people plan the next phases of their lives including owning a home.

Another common misconception is that buyers are not motivated to buy a home during the holidays. However, the reality is that winter is a time when less serious buyers and window shoppers leave the market and you’ll mostly find that only serious and highly motivated buyers remain. It is even more common for the whole selling process to be shorter during this season since the buyers you are most likely to encounter during the holidays are very eager to buy a house before the year ends!

It's also a time when people are planning their goals and plans for the next phase of their lives — including buying a new house!

Myth #5 - Real estate agents don’t work much during the winter months.

Reality - You’ll be able to get undivided attention from your agent since fewer people are selling.

Since there are generally fewer people selling in the winter, many real estate agents are eager to find more clients during this season. You’ll be able to get undivided attention from your agent — a stronger and more visible marketing effort, extended open houses, and they are available for a lot more days to meet with potential buyers.

Don’t let these myths get in the way of selling your house successfully during winter!

There’s a lot of opportunity to sell during the holidays that you probably won’t experience if you wait for spring — less inventory and competition, more serious and motivated buyers, more focused real estate agents, and a quicker sales process. Plus, you’ll have a chance to make your home look more warm and cozy!

Have you decided on selling your house this winter? Go for it! I’ll be there to help you every step of the way. Contact me at 250-804-9160 or send me an email at natasha@sellingsalmonarm.ca and I’ll be happy to help you sell your home before the end of the year!

Selling your home is a challenging endeavor especially if you choose to go the For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) path. There will definitely be a LOT of work to do — from listing your home, preparing for inspections and appraisals, conducting repairs and maintenance, processing all the legal paperwork, scheduling open houses, not to mention marketing your home!

Luckily, with the use of social media, it’s now easier than ever to sell your home! Gone are the days of cold calling and listing your house in the classified section of the daily newspaper. Still, it can be overwhelming as there are many things you need to know before you can market effectively on social media.

As a real estate agent, you can say that I have mastered the art of social media marketing as it’s an everyday task for me to sell homes both in person and online! Trust me when I say that I’ve tried many things and always made sure to take advantage of the latest features available. Here are six ways to use social media that will help you sell your home faster!

1. Create a social media strategy

The first thing that you need to do is to strategize your social media campaign. Your goal is set: To sell your house. But which social media tactics you should use to achieve this goal?

You’ll need to decide on which platforms you’ll be using (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), gather the materials you will need (photos, videos, articles, MLS listing?), set your budget (organic, paid advertisement, or both?), and narrow down the audience you want to target.

While the type of content you create is up to you, you’ll need to unleash a bit of your creativity regardless! There are several types of content you can choose to create. You can do as simple as posting a description of your home with photos. You can also take it to the next level by creating an Instagram Reel, Facebook/Instagram Story, or going live on a social media platform.

2. Digital Word-of-mouth is key!

As a private seller, you might not have a business page on social media. Not to worry as you can still market your listing via digital word-of-mouth! Simply posting about your listing can already help you spread the word. It’s also a good way to target an audience that would most likely be interested in your listing as most of the people in your network live close by to your area.

Aside from that, you can also share your listing on various social sharing groups such as Facebook groups about real estate selling in your area. Just remember to read the group rules first and make sure that it’s allowed before you post!

3. Consider paying for ads

If you’re a motivated seller with a good budget, consider paying for social media ads. You can easily run ads on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram at an affordable price for a period of time. Social media ads are a quick and effective way to reach your target audience especially because you can choose the demographics of your ads. You can also easily see the stats of your ads while it’s running, receive engagement and messages in real-time, and extend your ad if you want to keep it running for longer.

4. Use keywords and hashtags

When relying on online marketing to sell your home, you need to ensure that your post or listing can easily be found by potential buyers. The trick is to use the right keywords and hashtags. Determine the keywords and hashtags that are aligned with the most common phrases that people use to search when looking for a property in your area. It can be the type of property, area name, or amenities that most people want in a home.

By doing this, your content is more likely to appear on your target audience’s explore page. Once they search for posts that are related to your keywords and hashtags, they will most probably bump into your content as well.

5. Promote your open house event

People wouldn’t just magically appear at your open house. You need to make efforts to promote your event. And since you are selling on your own and don’t have the network of a real estate agent, you need to double your effort.

Promote your open house event on social media prior to your event date. Post consistently until your event date to encourage excitement among your audience. Share the event with different real estate groups on Facebook. Ask your friends to help you reach more people by sharing it on their pages.

6. Go live on Facebook.

There might be a few people who won’t be able to physically attend your open house event. And who knows – maybe one of these people is your homebuyer. So consider going live on Facebook during your open house event.

If it is more convenient for you, schedule a separate virtual open house for those who cannot attend the actual open house. With this, you’ll be able to give your full attention to each guest – on-site and online.

Maximize social media as a tool today!

Whatever strategy or content you come up with, don’t forget that this is just a tool to help you with selling your home. At the end of the day, it’s still up to your skill and knowledge of the space that will land the deal. Aside from maximizing social media for marketing your property, learn how to effectively deal with people and negotiate for the best offer.

When it comes to your kids, ensuring that they are equipped for whatever life throws at them is crucial. One aspect of that is finding the right school and community for them. So it’s no wonder that from June-July, families are more likely to move places, in search of the right community, environment, and half the time, a great school district. Whether you’re moving schools or not, juggling your kids’ back-to-school needs and house hunting can be overwhelming. After all, you’re human, too! That said, we’ve listed some tips to help you lock in these two things.

1. Plan your timing

If you’re looking into moving houses, doing it while your kids are still in school would be an extra layer to peel off. It’ll be more challenging to juggle the ongoing school calendar and a house move. To add to that, if you’re moving to a new school in the middle of a school year, it’ll be tougher for your kid to integrate comfortably. That’s why families often move during their kids’ summer break. It’s perfect as it’s when the family has more time to tackle an undertaking like this. In short, planning and giving yourself the right amount of window to do this goes a long way.

Don’t start listing and hunting for a new place just when summer’s about to start. Instead, spread yourself out throughout the year. Expect or make it a goal for your move to be around your kid’s summer break. It’ll be less stressful not just for you, but for your kid, too. You’ll both need ample time to prepare, so don’t haste the process.

2. Get some help

Moving houses can take up a lot of time and energy. To add to that, you still have to list your current house and look for a new home before you can even think about hiring that moving service. Between work, family, and your kids’ back-to-school needs, finding the time to even go through the barrage of listings can be difficult. One way to help offload the pressure is to hire an agent. Enlisting a real estate agent will brush off some stress and will help you find the right place for your needs. You’ll have some peace of mind and more free time to spend with your family.

3. Patience is a virtue

Imagine hunting for a place way too late and now you’re rushed by time. Your kid is about to go back to school, and you’re in a hurry. You’re more likely to take a bad offer or take up a least ideal home to be in. No, no, no, we’re not going to have any of that, right? Remember, it’s best to spread this throughout the year. This way, you’ll have a large elbow room to move in. If anything goes wrong, there’s the benefit of enough time to pick the pieces. It takes the stress of being rushed away. Don’t get us wrong, if your agent finds the perfect place and offers, go for it. Strike a deal to move in the summer or find a seamless way to get it done in the school year.

4. Balance your time and effort

Remember that you’re also taking care of your kids’ return to school. Whether it’s moving to a new one or just getting them ready for a new school year, making sure they are ready and feeling confident for the year is important. So balance your time and effort to ensure they are a-ok for the year. Being prepared will go a long way and help ease their mind and yours. Make sure to involve everyone, too – it’s a family effort and milestone so don’t miss the chance to spend it with them.

5. It’s go-time

Multitasking can be a difficult thing to do for anyone. It can be taxing and stressful, but being prepared and taking your time can be of gigantic help. Taking these steps with your family makes it a lot easier too. We’d be remiss to digress that this is a phase of change, and change isn’t easy to come by. It can be overbearing, so make sure to check in on your kids and involve them in the process. Make house hunting and back-to-school preps fun for the family. And when you’ve finally nailed down the house and called the moving service, you can check our recent article on “How to take the stress of moving with kids” to help get the job done with peace of mind. Have more questions in mind? I would love to hear from you! Call me at 250-804-9160 or send me an email at natasha@sellingsalmonarm.ca.

The big day is just around the corner: it’s almost Moving Day for your family! But before you can enjoy the fruits of your brand new space, we know how stressful moving can be, especially when you have kids. With all the logistics to worry about, it’s a surprise not everybody goes nuts.

However, don’t go on mistaking that you’re the only one experiencing stress as the parent and the adult in charge. Moving can be complicated for anyone regardless of age, and that includes your kid. As adults, it’s easier for us to adapt than the young ones. What might be a breath of fresh air to the parents can be a source of stress for children. Change is a bit tougher for kids, and saying goodbye to their friends and the space they’ve grown up in can take a toll on them.

That said, learning how to prepare them for a big move goes a long way for their well-being and yours. When you include your kids in the process, you help them navigate this scary yet exciting adventure ahead.

To get you and your kids ready for the big moving day, we’ve listed some tips that can help your family better adjust for this milestone ahead.

1. Give them a heads-up

As a kid, nothing could be worse than waking up to see all your stuff gone while mountains of boxes are loaded on a moving truck. Moving isn’t always a pleasant surprise to children, so let them know as early as you can. Once you have finally decided about the move, talk to them and explain why. There’s no point in keeping it a secret, and doing so might harm your relationship, so best to be transparent.

An early talk with the kids will give them ample time to adjust and to say their goodbyes. On a more positive note, you’ll also be able to get them pumped up for the move early on as you give them a picture of your future home life.

2. It’s all about teamwork

When we talk about getting your kids involved, we don’t mean making them carry heavy boxes. Get them involved in the process by asking them to pack their stuff such as toys, plushies, books, and school items. Or better yet, ask them questions about how they’d like their new space to be. Talk about possible themes, decorations, wall colors, and more. In short, brainstorm with your kid.

3. Give them a little taste

Kids tend to be more cautious toward anything new. After all, they’ve still got a lot to figure out about the world. And much like when we’re served with new dishes, kids would also appreciate having a small taste of their future space before moving. Pre-paving your children for the move will help lessen their anxiety. You can start this off by visiting the neighborhood and enjoying the fun activities they can do there. Visit the local park. Dine in a local restaurant. From there, you can ease them into the new house by going with them for visits, showing their new room, and laying the vision for the house no matter how silly it is (a giant swing in the middle of the room? Sure, why not!). Remember, it’s a crucial transition for them, so take it slow and enjoy the process together.

4. Make it a fun experience

Hopefully, when moving day arrives, your kids aren’t just left watching you or the movers load and unload boxes. Instead, find ways to make this a memorable day for them. You can assign them light tasks like looking after the family pet, or you can hand them a kid-friendly camera and have them document the move. They’d surely appreciate seeing those photos one day when they decide to look back on the memory of the place they once called ‘home’.

Moving day or not, let kids be kids

It’s easy to be caught up in all the stress of moving. However, don’t forget to be extra patient and understanding toward your kids on moving day. Don’t expect adult behavior from them, and don’t reprimand them if they do something you dislike during the big day. If they get upset about it, don’t invalidate their feelings. Instead, listen and provide comfort. Take this as an opportunity to strengthen your bond.

Once the move is complete and your kids are tucked safely in their new bedrooms, pat yourself on the back and maybe open a bottle of wine — you deserve it for a job well done. Time to enjoy your new home!

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House hacking is the way to go! Financially savvy professionals keep this as the top secret in fast tracking the attainment of homeownership dreams. After all, homeownership takes you a step closer to financial security.

Entering the real estate market can seem far-fetched with its skyrocketing prices - especially when you live in the heart of business districts. However, when done right, house hacking can be the simple solution to this seemingly huge dilemma. In this blog, I’ll uncover a house hacking comprehensive guide with tips and tricks in navigating your way to an expensive market!