The short answer
Yes, winter can be a good time to buy a house, especially if you’re ready and flexible. Many buyers stop looking between Thanksgiving and the new year, so you may face less competition for the homes that are on the market. Many winter sellers also have a real reason to move, which can make them more open to talking about price, credits or dates. The tradeoff: fewer homes to choose from, and a house that’s harder to see clearly under snow.
Key takeaways
- Less competition, fewer choices. Winter buyers often get more attention from sellers, but there are usually fewer homes to pick from.
- Snow hides things. Roofs, yards, drainage, sprinklers and pools are hard or impossible to check in the cold. Plan for it in your offer.
- Colorado’s contract protects you after you’re under contract. If the furnace or plumbing fails before closing, the seller is generally responsible for fixing it or giving a credit.
- Holidays affect deadlines and closing dates. Check how your contract handles deadlines that land on a holiday.
- December or January matters for taxes. Your closing date decides which tax year your closing costs and property taxes fall in.
Buying in winter vs. spring
Spring usually brings the most new listings, and the most buyers competing for them. Winter brings fewer of both. My guide to selling a house in winter shows what sellers are weighing right now.
| Situation | Winter can make sense | Spring may be better |
|---|---|---|
| Your timing | You’re relocating, your lease ends or you’ve already sold | You can comfortably wait |
| Negotiating | You want room to ask for price, credits or dates | You’d rather see the most choices, even with more competition |
| The outside | The interior, views and location matter most | The yard, pool or landscaping is a big part of the value |
Are houses cheaper in the winter?
Not automatically. A well-priced home in a sought-after neighborhood can still draw more than one offer in January. What winter tends to change is leverage. A home listed since early fall, or a seller who has already bought their next home, may mean more room to negotiate. That leverage can mean a lower price, a credit toward closing costs, a repair or a closing date that fits your move. My guide to closing costs for buyers in Colorado explains how seller credits show up at closing.
Before we write an offer, I’ll check how long the home has been listed, any price changes and what similar homes nearby sold for, so we know whether there’s room to negotiate.
Touring homes in the snow: what to look for
- Notice how the snow melts. Bare patches on an otherwise snowy roof can point to heat escaping from the attic. Long icicles and thick ice along the eaves can be a sign of ice dams.
- Look at the driveway and walks. North-facing driveways and steep approaches can stay icy for days.
- Feel for drafts and cold rooms. Stand near windows and exterior doors, and in rooms over the garage.
- Ask for utility history. A seller can often share recent gas and electric bills to show what heating costs.
- Ask for summer photos. If the yard is under snow, ask the listing agent for photos of the landscaping, patio, pool or garden from the warmer months.
Winter home inspections: what can and can’t be checked
Under Colorado’s standard residential contract, CBS1, you have the right to inspect the home, including the roof, the plumbing, heating and other mechanical systems, and to object to or terminate over anything you find unsatisfactory by the deadlines in your contract (§10.3). Winter changes what an inspector can see.
- Roofs under snow. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice say an inspector isn’t required to remove snow or ice that keeps them from seeing the roof surface. If the roof is covered, ask the seller for roof records, or build in time for a separate roof inspection after the snow melts, if the seller agrees.
- Air conditioning. The same standards say inspectors aren’t required to run cooling equipment when it’s below 65°F outside, because it can damage the system. Ask for service records.
- Sprinklers and pools. Lawn sprinkler systems and pools are outside a standard home inspection, and in winter they’re usually shut down and drained. Ask how and when they were winterized.
- Radon. Radon isn’t part of a standard home inspection, so it’s a separate test. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says a short-term test needs windows and exterior doors closed for 12 hours before and during the test, and notes that some people find that easier in winter.
If something can’t be inspected, we can write it into your contract deadlines or additional provisions, ask for documents, or negotiate a credit. My luxury home inspection checklist covers the specialist inspections larger homes often need.
Between contract and closing: frozen pipes and the walk-through
A cold snap between contract and closing is the winter risk buyers ask me about most. Under CBS1, the home is to be delivered in the condition it was in on the contract date, ordinary wear and tear excepted (§18). If a system such as heating or plumbing fails or is damaged between the contract and closing or possession, whichever comes first, the seller is generally responsible for repairing or replacing it or giving you an equivalent credit. If it isn’t repaired, you may have the right to terminate or to take a credit at closing (§18.2).
That’s why the final walk-through matters even more in winter. CBS1 gives you the right to walk through the home before closing to confirm its condition (§18.4). In winter, run the faucets, check under sinks and in the basement for water, and confirm the furnace runs. If the home is vacant, ask the seller who is checking it after cold nights.
Buying around the holidays
- Read the holiday box in your contract. Under CBS1 §3.3.3, if a deadline lands on a Saturday, Sunday or a federal or Colorado state holiday, it is extended to the next business day only if the “Will” box is checked. If neither box is checked, the deadline isn’t extended.
- Plan for the Closing Disclosure. Your lender has to give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. For that rule, Sundays and federal holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day don’t count as business days, so a holiday week can move your schedule.
- Ask about holiday schedules for your lender, appraiser and title company before you pick a closing date.
- Be extra careful with wire instructions. Always confirm wiring instructions by phone with your title company, using a number you already know, never one from an email.
Closing in December or January: taxes
“Should I buy a house in December or January?” usually comes down to taxes. According to IRS Publication 530, if you itemize, the mortgage interest you pay at closing and your share of the year’s property taxes can be deductible, and points on a loan for your main home can sometimes be deducted in the year you pay them. A December closing puts those items in this tax year. A January closing puts them in next year. Ask your tax advisor which is better for you.
Colorado counties bill property taxes a year behind, so the bill for one year arrives the following January and is paid that spring. The Denver and Douglas County treasurers both list the first half as due the last day of February and the second half by June 15, or the full amount by April 30. Under CBS1, the year’s taxes are prorated to the closing date (§16.1.1), so you get a credit at closing for the part of the year the seller owned the home. If you close in December or January, that bill for the prior year may land in your mailbox shortly after you move in. If your taxes aren’t escrowed, set that credit aside. Metro districts add to the bill; my metro districts guide explains how to check.
Your first winter in the new house
Once you have the keys, a few Denver Water tips will protect your new home:
- Find the main water shut-off on day one. In most single-family homes it’s in the basement or crawl space, on a wall facing the street.
- Insulate exposed pipes along exterior walls and in unheated basements, and keep attached garage doors closed in a deep freeze.
- Keep the heat on when you travel. Denver Water recommends keeping the thermostat above 65 degrees if you’re away for several days.
Buying a luxury home in winter
Larger homes bring more of the things winter hides: bigger roofs, more mechanical systems, heated driveways, snowmelt, pools and acres of landscaping. Ask for service records up front and build specialist inspections into your deadlines. Winter is also a great time to judge a view. On a clear January morning you’ll see exactly how much of the Front Range a home captures; my guide to Lakewood homes with mountain views shows where buyers look for them. If your price range runs above the conforming loan limit, read my jumbo loan limits guide. In HOA communities, I confirm snow removal rules during your contract period.
Buying this winter across the Denver metro
Start with my buyer guides for Denver, Lakewood, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock. Relocating? See moving to the Denver suburbs or moving to Colorado Springs. For 55+ living, see my 55+ communities guide and Anthem Ranch in Broomfield. Selling a home and buying another this winter? Read buying and selling a house at the same time or my Denver seller page.
How I help buyers in winter
I grew up in Castle Rock, so I know what a Colorado winter does to a house, a driveway and a closing schedule. I help luxury buyers across Denver, Lakewood, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, Broomfield and Colorado Springs. I work with Sean Gribbons at The Gold Standard Brokerage; Sean founded the brokerage, and we run it together. I’ll help you find the homes worth seeing and write an offer with dates that protect you through the holidays. Try the “How much home can I afford?” calculator, call or text me at 720-357-5785, or use the inquiry form on this page.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Contract references are to the Colorado Real Estate Commission’s CBS1 residential contract. Inspection limits are from the InterNACHI Standards of Practice; individual inspectors’ agreements vary. Tax points come from IRS Publication 530 and the Denver and Douglas County treasurers, and winter tips come from Denver Water and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
