How To Sell Your Home During The Fall

Fall is a hot real estate season. 

Summer vacations are over, the kids are back in school and the holidays are still a few months away.  People are happy and relaxed as temperatures begin to fall.

Autumn home buyers are mainly millennials and empty-nesters, so plan accordingly.  Put away any children’s toys.

Fall Home Selling Tips

• Keep your lawn mowed and fixed up. Just because summer is over doesn’t mean it’s ok to let the lawn go. Patch up any brown spots in the grass, and rake up any falling leaves. Cut dead tree limbs and remove dead flowers or plants. Plant mums and marigolds in pots along the walkway leading up to the front door.
• Decorate. Get a few fall-colored decorations, like inexpensive window treatments or seasonal dinnerware inside, and a door wreath for the outside. Fresh decor will make your space seem current and well-maintained.
• Wash the windows.  Fingerprints and cat noses will make the windows look dirty, which makes the overall appearance look dirty, even if it isn’t.  Remove screens and spray down the outside windows as well as making the inside windows sparkle.
• Clean out the fireplace.  If it isn’t time to use the fireplace yet, clean it out, wash it down, and arrange candles or knickknacks in it to look pretty.
• Repair outside lights. With the days getting shorter, you may end up showing your home in the dark. Make sure your outdoor lights are clean and working — if they’re dirty or broken, buyers will get uncomfortable before they even come inside.
• Keep exterior photos of your home up-to-date. If you listed your home in the summer, update your online photos with brand new photographs. Pictures from the previous season make your listing seem dated.

If you’d love a second opinion about whether or not your home is ready to sell, give Sonja a call at 661-979-9000, or email her to schedule an appointment at [email protected].