There’s no denying that winter can be a terribly depressing time of year. Grey skies, freezing cold, snow and ice, coupled with shorter days and longer nights can easily put a dampener on all but the most optimistic of spirits.

The cold and gloom also serves as a hindrance to anyone trying to sell their home at this time of year. Winter has traditionally been the slowest season in which to make a sale, but with a little ingenuity it may just be possible to turn those winter blues into something of an advantage.

Just think – with all the other grey and miserable looking homes out there – brightening up your home could really help it to stand out from the competition.

Extra appeal can be achieved with minimal effort too. What follows are a few tried and tested tips that will surely boost the chances of closing a sale.

First things first, you need to brighten up the outdoors. Especially during winter, the front yard is one of the major selling points of any home. The trick is to plant hardy plants that can stand the frost. There are dozens of types of plants that keep their leaves and color during winter – these can easily help to make a front yard stand out from the crowd. Pansies are one great choice, and can be planted into either pots or flowerbeds.

A nice and tidy yard is another must. It might be cold outside but that’s no excuse not to get out there and make sure the trees and bushes are trimmed, the flowerbeds weeded and the fallen leaves are raked up nicely.

It’s also worth setting up some outdoor staging to emphasize the space in the yard. Wooden benches on the patio are a nice touch, while a covered porch offers the chance to go all out – with a table, outdoor dishes, books and a hot cup of tea.

Don’t forget the indoors either. An attractive home is one that’s warm and welcoming when stepping inside from the cold. Make sure the heating is on, or even better, have a few logs burning on the fireplace to emphasize the coziness of the home. Candles, rugs and warm throws on the furniture all help to create an impression of comfort.

Lastly, be sure to stock the home with plenty of colorful house plants. Bright colors give the impression a home is bursting with life, something that most winter buyers will be missing, even if they don’t know it themselves – a couple of plants adds instant appeal to any room in the home.

So you can see, all it takes is a little bit of effort to make a huge difference to the chances of securing a sale this winter.