Fall is a Great Time to Sell Your Home!
You’re ready to sell your home, and contrary to popular belief, fall is actually a great time to sell! The weather is cooler, the holiday chaos hasn’t started, and even though there aren’t as many homes on the market, that just means there is less competition. There are people looking for a home nearly all year long, so don’t let the season deter you.
The key to selling your home fast and getting the highest selling price comes down to staging your home to attract prospective buyers and make your home appealing to them. While there are universal things you can do no matter what time of year it is – declutter, clean, and use fresh, neutral paint colors throughout the home – here are a few fall-specific tips to stage your home and drive buyer traffic!
Exterior Maintenance
Just like in the spring and summer you want to mow the grass and keep your flower beds filled with bright blooms, the fall is just as important because curb appeal is a year-round attraction. First, make sure keeping your yard clean and tidy – keep mowing so the grass doesn’t look unkempt as it’s fading, rake leaves and pick up yard debris regularly, and remove fading annuals from your flower beds. Also, don’t forget the gutters! If you get home tours on a rainy day and water is overflowing from clogged gutters, it immediately turns away a buyer!
Fall-Friendly Curb Appeal
Along with the maintenance, dress your home for fall with seasonal decorations! While fall is also Halloween, it’s a good idea to keep your decorations harvest-themed rather than going for scary or gory elements that could turn off some buyers.
Uncarved pumpkins and squash resting on a straw bale on the porch, a dried grapevine wreath decorated with fall flowers, and pots of blooming marigolds and chrysanthemums along the sidewalks or lining the front steps add cheerful pops of color in keeping with the season. If it gets dark early, add some landscape spotlights and porch lights to highlight your exterior both for presentation and for safety!
Interior Maintenance and Presentation
Of course, you want to do all your routine home maintenance anytime you put your home on the market but it’s especially important to have your furnace inspected. Not only do you not want to encounter costly surprises during a home inspection when your house is under contract, but if you get a surprising cold snap, you don’t want potential home buyers to be turned off by a chilly house because the heat is not working!
Along with chilly days, the light in the fall is not as bright nor does the sun stay out as late. But even if you have an evening showing, you don’t want your home to look dark. First, let as much natural light into your home as you possibly can by raising your blinds or shades and removing heavy curtains and drapes and swapping them out for sheers. Don’t be afraid to bring in more lighting either – soft overhead lighting and attractive floor and table lamps should all be glowing to provide a bright, open feel to your home.
Create a Fall-Inspired Home
Your exterior is lovely, your home is maintained and bright, now you just need the finishing touches throughout your home! Fall is a great time to add warmth into your home, and accessorizing with warm, rich colors and textures will convert tours into offers. Set out bowls of vibrant red apples, beautiful bouquets of fall flowers, or add natural, subtle fragrance by adding a few cinnamon sticks and cloves in vases of dried flowers.
Best of all, this is a great time to highlight a fireplace! While you may not want to have a fire burning during a home tour, keep it clean and draw attention to it with a lovely screen or by dressing up the mantle with fall features.
