Fall and winter. Why buy when it’s cold?

why buy in winter
What better time to buy home than in the colder fall and winter months. Not only are there fewer people out shopping for homes, there are a few added advantages.

I have long believed that the best time to buy a car is during the winter months. That’s when you really need a car, when it’s cold and you require a reliable ride to work and back or more importantly for an outing with the kids. I suppose that’s why I will never own a two-seater British roadster convertible. 

The same can be said for houses. What better time to buy home than in the colder fall and winter months. Not only are there fewer people out shopping for homes, there are a few added advantages.

Why buy a home in the fall and winter?

Beat the winter blues

If you’re like me, you don’t like to go out in the wintertime. I get lazy. I hibernate like an old bear. But wouldn’t it be better to use this time constructively? The cool and cold fall and winter months is the perfect time to get out and visit open houses or schedule showings on listings that you might be interested in. It is a great way to explore new neighbourhoods, meet hard working real estate agents and get yourself out and active. 

Winter research

I get lots of reading done in the winter time. It is a wonderful time to research homes and neighbourhoods online. Don’t turn to Netflix or YouTube until you get a few hours of work done on the vast array of reports and information available to you online. Chip away at all that boring stuff you need to know to buy a great home. 

Comfort and safety check

Much like I mentioned above about buying a reliable car with winter in mind, looking at homes in the wintertime is a great way to see the home’s comfort and safety standards when you really need them. Visiting homes in the colder months lets you check for drafts and ice dams. It will let you see if the driveway or front step gets icy with the freeze and thaw cycles and maybe even if rodents are finding their way in. Also, with the weak winter light, visiting in the colder months will allow you to see for yourself how much natural daytime light the home receives. 

Parking and exterior issues

I live in an old home in Uptown Waterloo. As such, I do not have a garage and that has been an ongoing pain for me. In the autumn, my car gets covered with leaves that stain the paint. In the winter, there is snow that has to be brushed off before I can leave the driveway. I bought the home in the springtime with little thought about how nice it would be to have a garage for my car, and for my garbage cans which the rodents seem to love to get into. 

There is no street parking in Kitchener-Waterloo overnight and during snow events and that can be an issue in some neighbourhoods. 

Icy walks and driveways, snow plows filling up the end of the driveway, blocked drains by fallen leaves and even where to put your recycle boxes because of snowbanks are all potential issues that many people forget to consider in the warmer months. 

Further reading

Blog posts about home buying

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