Winter is traditionally not the busiest time of the year for real estate. And that makes sense. When it’s cold, we hunker down, and everything slows a bit. So why should the housing market be any different? But, with that said, there are still advantages to home shopping in winter, as well as benefits to winter home inspections.
You Can’t Always Buy When You Want
Let’s start with an obvious fact. For many of us, when we move isn’t a choice. Frequently moving is dictated by a life change we’re responding to – a new job, a health change, or a problem with a previous home.
While you may have some flexibility of when you can buy, that can be measured in anything from days to years! So for some, it’s not a matter of buying now because you see the benefits of winter home inspections as much as taking the opportunity to look for them in something you already have to do.
Why Buy in the Winter?
For some people, though, you may have options about when you can buy. And for them, it may make sense to buy in the winter. Here’s why.
The Market
Generally speaking, winter is a buyers’ market. Since most people want to buy in the warmer months, if given a choice, most sellers put their homes on the market during those months. If their home is on sale during the winter, there’s a good possibility you can get a better price.
Fewer people will make offers during the winter. That puts you in an excellent negotiating position. In addition, if a seller has put their home on the market in the winter, it may be because they had to, so they may be in more of a rush to sell. That’s good for you, the buyer!
Benefits of Winter Home Inspections
Any good realtor will tell you that when viewing a home, timing matters. Many will recommend potential buyers view the house several times during the day and on multiple days of the week to get a better sense of it – light, weather, neighborhood rhythms, etc.
If it were possible, it would be ideal to check it out multiple times a year – and that’s doubly true for inspections.
Unfortunately, we typically don’t have seasons to decide whether to buy a home! So, instead, we do our best to observe homes during the season we’re in and make educated guesses on how they fare the rest of the year. Luckily, there are a few benefits to winter home inspections.
Furnace
Firstly, the furnace can be an expense fix for a home buyer, and observing a furnace during the winter is challenging without causing significant discomfort or worse!
In the winter, a home inspector can see the furnace in action and know exactly how well it works.
Insulation and Seals
Winter is also the perfect time to notice how well a home is sealed and insulated. We always check around doors and windows for problems with sealing but there’s nothing like a winter draft to immediately alert you to a broken or inadequate seal!
Roof and Gutter Condition
You’ll have a better chance of seeing if there are any leaks or cracks in your roof and gutters during the winter when the weather is putting more of a strain on them. On the other hand, if it recently snowed, that may block some areas from view.
Condensation and Humidity
The cold weather will also give you a better opportunity to see if the home has condensation and humidity collecting, especially in places like your basement, which is often a problem space for homeowners!
In Conclusion
Nothing is perfect. And no matter when you observe a house, you’re only getting part of the picture. (That’s why we’ll also share what’s more challenging to observe in winter in a future blog). However, with a skilled, certified home inspector on your time, you’re already ahead of the game!
