Buying in the winter can mean less competition and cheaper houses for home buyers. It is a great time to buy for those home buyers who do not mind trudging through snow and can imagine what the yard really looks like during the warm summer months.
That being said, there are reasons home buyers avoid buying houses in the winter. Home buyers will not rush to get a house to beat the crowd if it means having serious regrets after the sale is complete.
Upcoming Events
The fall and winter months have a lot of holidays all packed into one small time frame. First, it is costumes, then it is food and travel expenses, then gifts for the whole family, friends, and even neighbors. Without a carefully planned budget, buying that new house could put a family too far behind on their bills and ultimately on that new mortgage.
Wrong Vision
Buying a house in the winter takes a little creativity. No one likes to see barren trees, dead grass, and vacant garden beds. However, the winter is going to showcase all of these areas.
Home buyers have to imagine what the home is going to look like during the warm months when the grass is green and the flowers are blooming. Otherwise, a perfectly good house may get passed up on.
Building Delays
Building delays can be much longer in the winter. Home buyers looking to build a new home should avoid the winter months at all costs. It is going to cost more to dig and few crews are willing to work in the winter. This can be a problem for someone buying a house, as well.
If the home needs a major repair to the foundation, gutters, roof, or other outside fixes it may be hard to find a company that will complete the work. Trying to get a project completed quickly in the winter is going to make any homeowner and buyer frustrated. If the house needs little repair it may not be a problem, but it is best to plan for major delays.
Time Crunch
Everyone is trying to visit family, see friends, and travel around the country during the holidays. This does not make it easy to see houses. Trying to schedule showings between two busy families is a nightmare for their real estate agents. Especially, if neither party is willing to push their plans back to accommodate a walk-through. Always be prepared to sacrifice personal time off to see a house if it may be the one that is purchased in the long-run.
Crazy Good Deals
Many home buyers think that they are going to buy a house for rock-bottom prices. A homeowner that is selling their house in the winter must be desperate, right?
This is not always the case. Some sellers simply do not take their properties down during the off-season months. They may feel no pressure to take low offers.
But there are fewer people looking to buy houses right? Well, that is typically true. There are fewer home buyers looking for homes during the winter months.
That is the same for available properties. There is less competition for buying homes and there are fewer homes to buy.
Unjustified Offers
While thinking that homeowners are desperate to sell some home buyers decide to make extremely low offers. This is true even though some homes may already be at discounted prices. These low offers may not match what the value of the home is. Even if a homeowner wants to see their home quickly in the winter, it would not be smart for them to take an offer that is laughable at best.
Home buyers who want to get a huge discount in the winter may be surprised when there are few homes for sale and they have difficulties scheduling a time to view the home. Disappointment may set in when they see the snow-covered yards and hear that the home needs a repair that cannot be completed until temperatures increase. Buying a house in the winter can be beneficial to patient home buyers, but it is not the best option for every buyer.
