While spring is known historically as the “season for homes”, homes are still sold year round. No matter the time of year.
While the days are getting shorter and the leaves are starting to change, you may have decided selling your home this fall is exactly what you need. If you are considering selling your home this fall, then there are a few things you can do.
1. Price your home right
Research your current real estate market. Compare your home to other neighborhood homes that have been sold. Your realtor can provide you with these comparisons. Or you can find this information yourself with online solutions or by using a tool like HomeZada’s Property Market Analysis Report.
Websites such as Zillow or Trulia offer information that can help you decide how best to price your home for selling this your home this fall.
2. Know the market
The length of time it takes you to sell your home and the price you will get for your home is dependent on your current market or area.
For example, if your home market has more homes for sale than buyers looking, it’s known as a “buyer’s market”. This simply means that buyers have a lot to choose from and can potentially get a home for less money.
However, if the opposite is true and there are fewer homes for sale and a lot of buyers are searching, then you’ll be able to sell your home potentially faster and for a price that you want.
In a balanced market the inventory of homes on the market is comparable to the number of individuals looking to buy. The result is that homes are sold for the same as the market value of the home.
Doing your review of market conditions will also set your expectations properly.
3. House cleaning and decorating
If you have a clean and decluttered home, you are golden. It not, take the time to declutter your home and perform a thorough cleaning.
If you have budget, spring for some help with staging your home and sprucing it up a bit.
Decorate for the fall holidays such as Halloween or Thanksgiving, but use tasteful decorations that appeal to a mass audience. (i.e. save the “bloody skeleton” for your next home)
Remember the outside of your home.
Fall tasks that should be done before listing your your home for a sale include:
- ⬥ Remove fallen branches and sticks
- ⬥ Weed the flower beds
- ⬥ Rake leaves
- ⬥ Trim shrubs, bushes and trees
- ⬥ Clean out the gutters
- ⬥ Put away any lawn furniture, dead plants, lawn toys, etc.
- ⬥ Have your HVAC system inspected and cleaned by an HVAC specialist and have the chimney swept out to prevent fires from animal nests or a build-up of soot.
Place colorful, cold-hardy plants near the entryway to add bright touches and curb appeal. And while a few colorful leaves spread across the lawn shouldn’t be a deal breaker, keep the yard as tidy as possible.
4. Appeal to the senses
To help potential buyers fall in love with your home and make an offer, make every effort to appeal to their senses.
- ⬥ Turn on every light to add to the natural light that is streaming through your windows.
- ⬥ Bake a pie or make coffee, boil cinnamon sticks or burn a scented candle.
- ⬥ Play music in the background, softly. Holiday music works well if appropriate as does classical, jazz, or even the sounds of nature such as a waterfall.
- ⬥ Consider what kind of music your potential buyers might like when making your selections.
Finally, if you do decide to list your home in the fall, give potential buyers a taste of what their new home would look like at different times of the year.
Pull together as many photos as you can of your home during the different seasons and make them available for viewing. This is all necessary when selling your home in fall.
This can be done either as a photo album or as part of a digital picture frame that’s displayed prominently in the entryway or on the kitchen counter.
