Ways to Make Your Home Stand Out in the Fall
Fall is a great time of year to sell your home. While springtime may be the most popular season to put a house up on the market, there is no reason to wait if you want to sell when autumn rolls around. People are ready to buy homes any time of year – especially if you know how to prepare the property to sell.
There will likely be fewer homes on the market during this time of year, meaning a well positioned home can sell fast if you draw in the right buyer. Most people have an aversion to moving when the weather is stormy and cold, so the fall is your last chance to accommodate buyers before the winter season rolls in. For many people this one of their favorite times of the year due to the crisp air and the colorful changes of the leaves on the trees. For these reasons, autumn is a time of year not to disregard when deciding whether to sell.
Keep The Exterior Clean
When selling a home a common buzzword you will hear is “curb appeal”. No matter what season you are selling a home in curb appeal is very important. One of the challenges you will face during the fall is the die-off of various plants you have around your house. Some will be going into hibernation and some will fully expire. Either way, this will leave a bit of a mess on your property that needs to be cleaned up if you want to attract buyers. The exterior is the first thing people see when coming to look at a property.
Depending on what time you is selling; your landscape may be producing a noticeable amount of dead and decaying plant matter. This includes leaves that fall from the trees; flowers that die in the first cold snap and any other plants to noticeably wither as the year advances. You need to clean all of this up and discard it before you show the house. This is an ongoing process, so stay on top of it to keep your house looking good and avoid having it associated with decay. Buyers still want to be able to see your lawn and if it is completely covered with leaves this will not be possible.
Make sure any mold and mildew is kept to a minimum on your deck and siding. Buyers will still be looking over these areas with a keen eye. The fall is the perfect time of year to pick up plants and shrubs at a local nursery. There are often times some really good deals as the nurseries get ready to shut down for the winter. You can use this opportunity to pick up some nice seasonal plant to highlight your entryway.
Embrace The Fall Selling Season
There are certain advantages to selling during the fall. People have quite a few holidays to look forward to, including Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas come wintertime. Depending on the exact time you are showing your house, you can take advantage of the associations buyers have with these special dates.
Keep your decorations and the general feel of your house in tune with the holiday that is coming up. Just like businesses and retail stores do, you can invoke the feel of the holiday for your potential buyers. They can then see themselves and their families enjoying the same holidays in your home.
Of course it is possible to overdo this. You don’t want to seem ridiculous. However, everyone can appreciate silly monsters for Halloween and the smell of fresh-baked pies on Thanksgiving. If you hit the right note you may achieve a sale without even trying.
To learn more about selling your home in the fall, please click here.
Price Accordingly
One of the most important tips to sell your home in the fall is to price it properly! Work with your real estate agent to set the right price for your home – one that takes into account the season you are selling in. Some people claim that a house must be priced lower in off-seasons like fall and winter to actually sell, but this is not necessarily true. A home needs to be priced to compete in the current market, whatever that happens to be at the time.
Your Realtor will be able to pull comparable prices to your property and advise you on the right price for your home. Just do your best to listen to his or her advice, because the last thing you want to do is price your home too high. If you are in an area where homes sell for a bargain during the fall, putting your home up at a noticeably higher price than similar homes is a sure way to push away buyers.
The longer it sits on the market the more of a stigma it will get, making it even harder to sell. It is far better to price it right the first time and get the best offer you can. Days on market can accumulate fast in slower times of the year. When you are not in the top selling season and will be heading into an even slower time (winter) it really makes sense to be smart about the right asking price for your home.
Get Serious About Selling in The Fall
Fall and winter are not times to mess around when you are selling. The temperatures are dropping, the holidays are coming and buyers are motivated to close now. This can work to your advantage as long as you are really intent on selling. Yes, you might get a slightly higher price if you listed right as spring rolled into summer – when temperatures are perfect and everyone is feeling great. But there is a reason you are selling in the fall. You have a house to sell and it is time to get to it.
Pick a real estate agent you like working with, one that has a solid record of selling houses year-round at prices that are near what he or she lists them for the first time. Pick a Realtor that has a good reputation by talking to references that have worked with him or her recently.
For information on how to get your house ready to sell, see this link. https://www.applevalleylakeohio.com/blog/21-Ways-To-Prepare-Your-Home-For-Selling
Be Prepared For Moving
When you have followed some of the best advice for selling a home your property will probably go under contract fairly quickly. At this point it is very easy for the stress to build if you start worrying about your impending move. There is no question that one of the worst parts of selling a home is the actual move. This is why I have put some of the best moving advice together that will help ease the burden of your move. One of the worst parts of moving is the preparation for the big day. When you are well prepared beforehand at least a small part of the stress will be relieved.
