Warming up your winter sale Juliet Love and Charlie Albone at a Gladesville home set for winter sale. UNFORTUNATELY the warm weather is leaving us, but that doesn't mean the property market is also cooling off. Despite spring long being considered the prime time to sell property, it is also the time of year when almost every other vendor has the same idea. Winter equally deserves consideration, according to some experts, because it gives sellers the opportunity to list their properties in a less competitive market and cash in on keen buyers who want to purchase before winter kicks in and the financial year ends. To maximise your property's appeal in winter requires some seasonal homework. Outside Charlie Albone, landscape gardener and presenter on Selling Houses Australia, says making a property's exterior look appealing in spring or summer is easy because home owners can play with flowers and colours. But how do you get people excited about a bare and wet garden? It is possible to get the same dramatic impact from plants even in autumn and winter. Deciduous trees that lose their leaves really put on their big show as the temperature drops," he says. The aim of the gardening game when selling a property is to make a great impression, so Albone says vendors need to maximise kerbside appeal. Street appeal is king no matter what the season, so if you have the space then planting a feature tree will help improve the view to the house. Think about other ways to brighten up the facade to make the property feel fresh, warm and inviting. It is also important to make a grand entrance. Cleaning the front path with a pressure washer will help to lift the street appeal, and it will lead the eye to the front door so make sure the paint is in good condition. "If the architecture and colour scheme can handle a strong-coloured front door, like red or glossy black, this adds interest," Albone says. For properties with a backyard or courtyard it is important that potential buyers imagine themselves living in the outdoor areas. "Dress the entertaining space with items such as fire pits and outdoor heaters as this shows the garden can be used all year round -- a massive selling point of any house," Albone says. Gaps in the garden can be filled with potted plants, especially in the cooler months when perennials are smaller and more expensive. Once through the door, buyers need to picture themselves living in the house and the best way to do that is to make them feel welcome. Inside Juliet Love, a stylist and interior designer with Love Style, says colder months mean vendors do need to work a little harder. Firstly, take a look at your local competition. Take steps to enhance the style and look of your home to catch the eye of buyers," she says, adding that first impressions start with beautiful, memorable design in the marketing material. Once you have the attention of potential buyers though flattering photographs, you then need to make your home as warm and inviting as possible for inspections. When dressing a home for an inviting atmosphere, severe lighting should be avoided and home staging should be used. Decorating with heavier, textured fabrics, warm throw rugs and adding a couple of autumn and winter accent colours such as chocolate, pistachio or burnt orange can really enhance a home in cooler months. Think of the colours you see in those months in nature and take your cue from there," Love says. Think about the things that will add warmth to your home. If your floors are bare, invest in or hire a plush rug for instant warmth. If your home has a natural or gas fire, put it on during inspections so potential buyers can imagine themselves cosying up in your living room. Cooler months are ideal for showing off dramatic window treatments and curtains work well because they block draughts and add atmosphere. "You need to appeal to as many people as possible, so stick to neutral colours," she says. Most people will want to put their own style stamp on the home so don't go overboard with personal tastes or bright colours. Charlie Albone's tips for a good-looking winter garden Subtropical regions could use the Chinese tallowwood for a deep russet red. The ginkgo tree will display bright yellow highlights. Japanese maples are good for shocking reds. For year-round colour try purple fountain grass. Apartments and upper levels can be brightened with boxes of colour such as impatiens. Juliet Love's tips for a warming interior Avoid severe lighting and opt for downlights, hanging pendants and lamps. Use decorator accent colours that make people think of the autumn. Hire a plush rug to warm cold and bare floors. Dramatic window treatments impress visitors. Keep the same standard throughout the property. Buyers agent Chris Gray says house hunters are attracted to properties to which they can make an emotional attachment and Sydney seasons are not always relevant. "A good property will always sell, a bad property will nearly always struggle," he says. Gray says buyers respond to even the most supercial touches that leave a good rst impression and, when it comes to apartments, "buying a few nice doormats for all the units in your building could make all the difference." And if you're near schools or playing elds, time of year or time of the week is signicant. Think of doing your open house outside of busy times," he says. Follow us on Twitter @DT-openhouse