As the weather (and the real estate market) cools this November, selling your home in the hotter Spring Market may be something you are thinking about.

You have lots of time between then and now to get through the holidays and finish those DIY projects that were on your New Years Resolutions list from last year (or 2008…). But let’s face it, this is Toronto and the Spring Market starts before the tulips bloom.

Want an advantage over other sellers? Inside jobs can be taken care of later (hooray for indoor heating!). It’s outside that needs your attention now. Here are 5 jobs to do before the snow arrives so you can be ready to rock come Spring.

1. Clean up your walkways.

There might be snow. Lot’s of it. Take a look at your front walkway, steps and porch. Repair that cracked or uneven step. Pull the weeds that are fighting (and dying) between your interlocking bricks. When the snow is shoveled a clear, clean approach to your house will be a safe first step for buyers.

2. Paint your front door.

After the potential buyers have made it safely up to your front door, it would be sad if it were a dinged, scuffed mess. You can paint outdoors until the temperatures dip into the single digits so check the forecast. The end of winter offers you little opportunity to plant flowers and enhance your curb appeal but a smart looking door will show buyers you care about your property.

3. Get rid of the dead.

Those window boxes probably looked cheery and adorable this summer. Now they are likely looking sad. Give them a few more months and they will be downright depressing. Same goes for your annuals that have said good-bye to life in your garden. They aren’t coming back. I’m sorry. Give them a proper funeral in your compost. For the perennials, cut back what you can in your garden, so when the snow melts around them the first impression isn’t, “oh, gross.”

4. Gut your gutters.

The leaves in your eaves troughs plus snow and ice will create problems. The run-off from your roof needs to get as far away from your foundation as possible. Unfortunately a skating rink around your house doesn’t help sell it and no one wants to get on a ladder and clear them when the snow starts to melt.

5. Remember your roof.

Were there any icicles last winter? Not the light-up kind strung along your (now clean) eaves troughs, but the pretty and pointy ones hanging over the edge. This is a bad sign to the savvy buyer. Maybe they won’t be worried about being impaled if one were to fall, but they will be concerned about heat loss through your roof. Icicles are the result of an ice dam forming when snow melts from the heat in your attic then refreezes when it gets to the edge. Before it gets too cold there might be time to investigate and make some changes: adding more insulation to your attic and making sure it is properly vented are your best protection against ice dams. Not so pretty looking now, are they?

Okay weekend warriors, get out there and get to work! Can’t think of a better reason to enjoy a hot toddy than getting through these 5 tips!