If you’re selling your home in winter, you might be mistaken in thinking the property market slows down.

In fact, what does happen is when the days turn colder and the evenings draw in, it tends to be the most serious of buyers that arrange views.

In the summer, you’d be surprised by how many people arrange views as a way to spend their Saturdays – yes, really.

But winter buyers are really motivated, and they know what they want.

So, if your home is going on the market between now and January, there are clever ways to stage your rooms to present them in the best possible light – without breaking the bank.

Having staged properties for decades through my award-winning company ThePropertyStagers.co.uk, I’ve used every method in the book.

I know what works – and exactly what buyers are looking for.

Here are my top tips for a winter sale…

The garden club

One of the biggest oversights in winter is the garden – and the front of your property.

Just because the leaves have fallen and the nights are darker, it doesn’t mean to say you can forget about what is essentially a huge selling point.

They need to look their best for your listing photos, as well as for viewings.

With fewer distractions in your garden in winter – such as no full flowerbeds or patios with lovely furniture and pretty parasols – the exterior becomes a more honest first impression. 

Buyers often pull up in failing light, meaning they’ll be greeted with the first impressions of your front door, path and driveway looking cold, wet and uninspiring unless you do something about it.

Start by clearing any leaves and moss. Replace one or two exterior lights (motion sensor floodlights included) so the approach is softly lit from dusk. 

Add one large, simple planter by the door – and if you’re selling close to Christmas, I’d suggest avoiding festive decorations (see next point).

Give your fence a fresh coat of paint or varnish, and do that for your front door too. 

It’s Christmaaass

If at all possible, decorate your home for Christmas after your listing photos have been taken.

Then, yes, do go ahead with your tree and fairy lights, but intentional, and hold back if you’re usually OTT at this time of year.

Heavy (some might say tacky!), personal or themed Christmas decor can really overpower a room and can make it look dated. 

As always when it comes to selling your home, the aim is to allow the viewer to envisage themselves living in the property.

And by making it feel as aspirational as possible, you give yourself a better chance of hitting the asking price – or above.

So it’s out with the oversized Grinch and Nutcracker soldiers, and instead opt for two or three neutral ornaments – such as a simple wreath of evergreen foliage on the front door, and perhaps a single bowl of pinecones or a large candle cluster in an entryway. 

Remove family photos, stockings and anything that is too personal – your festivities need to be about presentation not clutter.

For the tree, opt for real if possible – as it’s such a lovely smell – but keep the pine needles under control. Then choose a neutral colour scheme and a limited range of hues, such as gold and silver with creams.

Just remember, you can go to town with the decs for the first Christmas in your new home!

First impressions count

The first sighting of the interior of your property for buyers is when they step foot inside your hallway – so make it count.

In winter, it’s easy for this area of the home to become overrun with muddy boots, wet bulky coats, dripping umbrellas along with scarves, gloves and hats – especially if you’ve got a busy home.

For photos and viewings, clear it out. Leave just one coat hook with a neutral coat, one umbrella stand and a slim console table if space allows, with a simple tray and a small lamp. 

Use a neutral rug (not the one your dog drools on). If the floor is scratched from winter slush, polish or cover it so the initial footstep feels smooth.

Lighting here is critical.

Swap a dim 40‑watt bulb for a bright 60 or 75 watt equivalent, choose warm white (2700‑3000K) and make sure the window glass is clean (buyers will look). 

In the hallway you set your tone for the rest of the house – if it’s welcoming, light and uncluttered, buyers who are much likelier to feel the rest of the house will match that standard.

Avoid kitchen chaos

In winter, the kitchen often bears the brunt of family life – there’s more hot cooking, so more washing up, and less chance of the kids being outside playing.

If you’re selling during these months, it’s really important to make this room feel capable of being calm as well as useful. 

Start by clearing everything off the surfaces apart from one stylish bowl of fruit and one clean chopping board.

The kettle, toaster, dish drainer, children’s lunchboxes – all must go. 

Buyers will open doors and peer into kitchen drawers so do your best to get these organised too. 

Use matching containers for tea, sugar and coffee (these don’t need to cost the earth – you can find them in bargain stores), and put unruly items like spice jars into a clear box with a label. It looks intentional rather than thrown together.

Two things sellers usually forget – the floor and the skirting boards.

Make sure these are clean and look as good as new.

And buyers love storage – it means less is on display, which makes a kitchen look more structured. Aim to remove a third of the items from every visible cupboard. 

The scent of a sale

Most sellers focus on what buyers see, but what your visitor can smell and hear when they’re in your home can be just as persuasive. 

You might not notice the scent of your own home, but they definitely will – and straight away.

Smell is the first sense to register on entering a property, and there’s research that shows it can influence decision-making.

That means the smell of last night’s curry, your wet dog, an unemptied bin or that damp pile of washing waiting to go in the machine really can sway a potential buyer. 

Before every viewing, air the house thoroughly – including bathrooms and toilets to get rid of any nasty niffs.

Ten minutes of fresh air on a winter morning does more good than any plug-in or spray.

If you do want to use a scent, avoid spraying or plugging in heavy fragrances that make it suspiciously like you’re masking a problem (such as damp). 

Instead, go for subtle, clean smells such as vanilla, citrus and pine – or even freshly laundered linen.

In the kitchen, use the old trick of baking some bread or brewing a fresh pot of coffee. 

Or a few drops of essential oil on a damp cloth placed discreetly near a radiator works too.

Sound also plays an important role. In the summer, the windows will be open, and there’s more life.

In winter, quiet instrumental music can make a home feel more welcoming. If there’s a busy road nearby, soft sound helps neutralise the noise without drawing attention to it.

Finally, take a walk outside your home before the viewers arrive.

Come back in with fresh eyes – and nose.

That first impression you get is likely the same one buyers will have. If it’s fresh, calm and comfortable, you’ve done your job.

Interiors expert Liv Conlon, 26, runs two seven-figure businesses: multi-award-winning ThePropertyStagers, that stages more than 300 properties a year; and StagerBoss – a coaching business teaching women how they can do the same.