The Westerville spring market is legendary. It’s fast, it’s competitive, and if you wait until April to start thinking about your home’s value, you are already behind.
Right now, as we settle into the grey Ohio winter, most homeowners are “nesting.” You’re noticing the drafty corners, the dated light fixtures, and the scuffs on the baseboards that seemed invisible in the summer sun.
Most people just live with it. But the savviest homeowners in Columbus use these “dead months” to make strategic upgrades. They aren’t spending $60k on a kitchen gut-job; they are making the High Impact / Low Disruption moves that maximize resale value.
As Realtors who look at houses every single day, here is where you get the best bang for your buck in the winter.
1. The “lighting” Facelift
In a Columbus winter, light is everything. When we walk buyers through a home in February or March, nothing kills the vibe faster than “dungeon” lighting—dim, yellow bulbs or boob-lights from the 1990s.
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The Upgrade: Swap out dated fixtures for modern, bright LEDs. Consider adding recessed lighting in the living room.
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The Realtor’s Take: A bright house feels bigger. It feels cleaner. It photographs 10x better for the listing. This is the cheapest way to make your square footage feel expensive.
2. Hardware: The “Subconscious” Sell
You might not notice your doorknobs, but buyers do. If your home still has the builder-grade brass knobs that rattle when you turn them, it signals “dated.”
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The Upgrade: Switch to solid, matte-black or brushed nickel levers. Update the cabinet pulls in the kitchen and bath.
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The Realtor’s Take: This is a tactile upgrade. When a buyer opens a door and feels a solid, heavy handle, it subconsciously tells them the whole house is solid. It’s a $500 upgrade that feels like a $5,000 difference.
3. The “Winter Contractor” Advantage (The Insider Secret)
Here is the secret most people don’t know about the remodeling industry. In May and June, good contractors in Columbus are ghosts. They are booked solid, their prices go up, and they are juggling five jobs at once.
In January and February, the phone stops ringing. This is your leverage.
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The A-Team Availability: In the winter, you don’t get the “B-Team” crew; you get the Master Carpenters and the owners themselves.
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Better Pricing: Contractors want to keep their guys busy in the winter. They are often willing to sharpen their pencils on price just to keep the schedule full.
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Speed: Materials that take 8 weeks to arrive in the summer often arrive in 2 weeks in the winter.
Stop Waiting for the Thaw
If you are thinking of selling in the Spring—or even in the next 2-3 years—do not wait until the “For Sale” sign is in the yard to do the work. Do it now. Enjoy the upgrades while you “nest” this winter, and cash in on them when the market heats up.
Not sure where to start? We know the local market, and more importantly, we know the contractors who are available right now.
Let’s do a Pre-Listing Value Assessment. We’ll walk through your home, tell you exactly what not to fix, and identify the top 3 upgrades that will give you the highest return here in Westerville.