Our fall weather here in Silicon Valley has settled into a seasonally wet pattern.  Should selling your home in rainy weather be any different from other times of the year? Absolutely!

If you want to make the best impression on potential home buyers, your house, townhouse or condo needs to be inviting no matter what the weather may be doing.  In the heat of summer, sellers are tempted to close up all the curtains to keep out the sun and heat – that’s a mistake because buyers typically don’t respond well to dark, cave like homes.

The cold, wet weather brings different challenges that also must be handled appropriately if you are to snag that best buyer!

Selling your home in rainy weather: quick tips

Here are a few tips to make your listing one that appeals to Silicon Valley home buyers who come out to see it despite unpleasant weather conditions.

Outdoor tips for wet weather showings

#1) Make sure that your downspouts are directing rain water away from your house or any structures (often 6′ or more is suggested); it is imperative that there be no “pooling” of water, especially near the home – this will cause buyers to worry about water in the crawl space and what it may be doing (foundation cracks, mold, etc.)

#2) Trim bushes and vegetation back from walkways and sidewalks. When it’s wet outside, these lovely bunches of greenery collect water and as visitors go past them, they can spill water onto the passers by. “Wet and cold” is not the experience you want buyers to have! Look at your sidewalks, driveway, and walkway and make sure that wet bushes and branches won’t be hitting anyone coming up to your front door.

#3) If the gutters leak, they’ll be noticed and will indicate that your property hasn’t been properly maintained, so repair or replace them. Often they just need cleaning out.

#4) Keep sidewalks, walkways, and patios clear of leaves as much as possible, as they can make a dangerously slippery surface if people walk on them.

#5) Visitors parking on the street may need to navigate past water in the gutters. If it’s easier for them to get onto the sidewalk strip, the better. Sometimes the sidewalk strip is full of tall bushes, such as juniper, and that can be challenging for auto passengers who don’t want to walk through a full gutter. Consider paths every few feet if doable. If the area isn’t planted, consider applying mulch to prevent mud.

#6) If you have a front porch, provide an absorbent doormat and a bench or seat so that visitors can wipe or remove their shoes (if that’s your desire) safely before going inside. Some kind of mat at every exterior door will help keep the whole home tidy.

#7) On dark, stormy days it’s nice to have welcoming front porch lights turned on. There are programmable switches set to timers that can do the job nicely, or light fixtures with sensers that switch the light on when it’s not bright out. Either one would create a more inviting impression.

Indoor tips for selling your home in rainy weather

#1) Turn the heat on if the temperature will be below the comfortable range as cold buyers don’t linger, and buyers who don’t linger don’t buy! Use or purchase a programmable thermostat so that the home will be comfortable during showing hours. I suggest at least 66-67 degrees during the likely showing hours, but 68 would be better.

#2) Open up the curtains and turn the lights on. If it’s a vacant property, have lights on timers (many stagers will provide this as part of their service). Cloudy, rainy weather can make any house look dark and you want to chase the darkness away with good lighting and access to natural light.

#3) Many home buyers will want to remove their shoes if it’s wet out. If there’s seating on the front porch for shoe removal, it would be ideal, space permitting, to have a bench or chair inside the entry by the front door.

#4) Provide indoor, non slip mats for those who will remove wet shoes indoors. The front door is most important, but it helps to have these by other exterior doors as well, especially any that enter into carpeted rooms.

#5) Keep the air fresh. In the damp days, we sometimes keep homes a little too closed up and that can be unappealing. Baking cookies or bread before showings are an old, popular trick, but there are other things that work too, such as fresh flowers. I don’t recommend scented candles or sprays since these are often powerful scents that tend to make buyers wonder what you’re hiding. It’s a matter of degree – you want to make the air pleasant without overwhelming visitors.

#6) During an open house, with your real estate agent present, you may want to consider turning on the a gas or electric fireplace. Discuss this with your agent. Like playing soft music, it can enhance the environment and make the home feel welcoming.

 

Selling your home in rainy weather and getting the response wanted involves taking a few extra steps for both safety and marketing purposes, but it’s well worth the effort. Warm, inviting homes can feel like a wonderful shelter as people enter them and feel relief from the elements.

When home buyers and their real estate agents venture out on a rainy, wet day to see properties in San Jose, Los Gatos, or anywhere in the Bay Area, you know that they are serious and highly motivated. These are exactly the home buyers you’d like to impress!

 

For related reading to the topic of selling your home in rainy weather: 

Home selling posts on this website

Selling your home in Silicon Valley on popehandy.com

Home seller resources on ValleyOfHeartsDelight.com (sister site to this one)

Is your sump pump ready for winter rains? (on Move2SiliconValley.com, our relocation site)