You never know when your dream home may hit the market, or life dictates that you have to move cities or homes. Ideally you see your home on a beautiful Summer day with lots of daylight and enjoy the entire experience, but that isn’t always the case. Buying a home in the heart of winter certainly has its pros and cons. Kicking off snowy slushy boots, getting all bundled up and not wanting to spend more time in the -10 degree weather can put a damper on your home shopping experience. That being said, there are some serious benefits to buying a home in the winter. I recently sat in a home inspection and the colder weather was able to show some possible deficiencies in the home that we wouldn’t have been able to notice with warmer weather.
1. Melted or melting snow on the roof. This can show patches with the insulation in the attic and heat loss in certain areas. This is very important for keeping utilities costs down and the overall efficiency of the home.
2. Drafts or cold spots on the walls and windows. On a windy, cold day, it is a lot easier to feel the contrast of the cold outside air leaking into the nice warm home. Again, those types of deficiencies in a home are very important to remedy and harder to find when the temperatures are the same inside and out.
3. Ice builds up on eavestroughs. When you see ice building up on certain parts of the roof and eaves through, it shows you the problem areas that may need extra attention or heater to ensure they don’t get damaged and are working properly.
4. Snow builds up streets and the frequency of city plowing. The city has a great system for plowing the roads in the most efficient way possible to maximize the number of residents they can service. After a big snowfall, you can notice if your street is one of the first to plow, or if you are buying a home on a quieter street, it may not get much attention from the snow plows in the winter.
5. Shoveling the driveway. For many homes, having a larger or longer driveway is great for extra parking when guests come over, or for kids with their own cars, but it does come with some extra responsibility that can be overlooked in the summer. If you are not looking to shovel more snow than you need to, buying a home in the winter can show you how much snow has to get moved from your laneway, as well as clearing off the sidewalk in front of the property. This is rarely a “deal breaker” but when you are viewing a home in the winter, you can see exactly how much shoveling is needed for the property.
These are just a few benefits to looking, and buying a home in the Winter, but every season comes with its own “pros and cons” when purchasing a home, and no two properties are alike. Reach out with any questions regarding purchasing or selling in any season.
