Tips for Selling Your Home in the Fall

Spring is the busiest time of the year for home sales, but did you know that fall is the second? If you weren’t in a position to list your home in the spring, don’t think you have to wait until next year to put it on the market. Fall is a great time to list your home, especially since many categories of buyers – first-time buyers, retirees and those who have just transferred to a new job – are often looking for a home at this time of the year. Also, it’s still a great time to purchase a home thanks to lower home prices and interest rates, so the market is competitive.

Here are some tips for selling your home in the fall. And, with less homes on the market, you’re already one step ahead!

Add Curb Appeal

A home sale begins with the buyer’s view of the property from the outside, whether they are driving past or looking online. It’s easy to lose sight of what the exterior of your home looks like when you spend the majority of time indoors, so be objective about what you see, or ask a friend or neighbor for their opinion. The yard doesn’t have to be complex, especially at this time of the year, but make sure that the yard is clean and well maintained. The leaves should be picked up, kids’ toys put away, shrubs trimmed and so forth.

Make the Home Move-In Ready

Moving is hard enough, and most people want to move in over the weekend so that they can return to work on a Monday. Making your home move-in ready is a huge advantage to prospective buyers. This means less work, headache and money trying to get the place ready to live in. Give the walls a fresh coat of paint with neutral colors. Replace old carpet and repair cracked tiles, ripped screens, dripping faucets and other major blemishes. Staging a home is part of your selling strategy, so the more your home is ready to be moved into, the more advantage you have.

Keep the Home Cozy

Fall is the time of year where people spend more time indoors, enjoying the comforts of home. You want to make buyers feel right at home when they look at your place, so evoke these feelings by burning apple cinnamon candles or baking pumpkin pie. Turn on the heat if it’s cold outside to keep the home warm (at least during showing times). If it’s early fall and still warm, open the window and let in a cool breeze. Let in natural light by pulling back curtains, and draw in fall colors with orange, browns and deep red decor.