The new job in Los Angeles came through, or your recently wed son or daughter just purchased their own home and you’ve been declared an empty nester for the second time,  or you’ve made up your mind that enough is enough and you will not under any circumstances, endure one more New England winter. Now is the right time for you to sell!  

You’ve been packing and fixing and cleaning for weeks or in some instances, months, and it’s finally time for the big reveal – The house has never looked so good and you wonder for a brief moment why you wanted to move in the first place.

A minute later, sanity is restored and you look forward to the launch of your listing with great anticipation.  The open house is scheduled for noon on Sunday, just 4 days away. You have it all perfectly planned out – wood in the fireplace ready to light just before your realtor arrives. Your favorite recipe or a tube of slice and bake cookies awaits to help you create that intoxicating smell that will surely entice buyers into your much loved kitchen.  Fresh flowers were added to this week’s food shopping list.  You’ve carefully planned a lunch date with friends where you will pretend to be paying attention to the conversation, while anxiously awaiting your agent’s phone call with news of multiple offers.  

Your Realtor has been coaching you for months and naturally shares your excitement. She has been preparing marketing masterpieces for days, has advertised your open house throughout the free world via the Internet and has sent you an e-mail with important reminders for Sunday: to leave some soothing background music playing, to turn on all the lights, if necessary, shovel, sand and salt the front walk, and to make sure that Brady the boxer is either in his crate or dropped off at the doggy day care on Saturday.

The fantasy is complete - until later that night there is a breaking news flash on TV. Wendy the weather girl has other ideas for the coming weekend. 

A storm is brewing somewhere west of Kansas and it is certain to make its merry way to the East Coast by Saturday evening. Somewhere between 2 and 100 inches of snow are expected to arrive by Sunday noon!  You frantically call your Realtor but her line is busy because she is calling you at the same time. Reluctantly, you both agree to postpone the open house until the following week. 

Whoever said this would be easy was only kidding. After all, this is New England. Maintaining a sense of humor and a positive but realistic attitude is an essential part of selling your home during the winter months. 

Know that the buyers are just as disappointed when a snow storm cancels their weekend plans of finding their dream house and moving in before the spring thaw.

Doing all of the things that are necessary to show off your home’s best features, especially in winter, will help to get your home sold.

Serious home buyers do shop in between snow storms and since inventory is lower in the winter, it may be the best time to attract a buyer for your house.

* It may be helpful to have a photo album of the house in spring and summer, to show potential buyers and agents the garden, the patio or pool, the new roof now covered in snow and ice.

* Remember to turn up the thermostats, before a showing thus confirming that the heating system really does work and provide potential buyers with an enjoyable experience when viewing your home.

If the open house or a showing is cancelled due to snow-related mishaps, use the time wisely and continue the purging and packing process or just sit back, enjoy the fire and the cookies and the soft music and imagine what life will  be like once your home is sold and you move on to your next adventure.

Donna Moy-Bruno, a life-long resident of the Metrowest area, is a full service REALTOR® with ERA Key Realty Services at 1881 Worcester Rd.in Framingham. Contact Donna at 508-259-0712 or via her Web site at www.DontForgetDonna.com