Home Selling in the Fall, what should you do??……..

Usually, most people don’t realize the fall real estate market is a hot season. Home selling in autumn is the second-best time of the year to sell a home. Families have returned from summer vacations. Kids have gone back to school. The holidays aren’t yet upon us, at least not yet in an annoying way. We are set to enjoy 75 to 80 days of normalcy, and that’s a great time to sell a home.

In parts of the country with four seasons (right here in the great PNW!) we watch leaves explode in vibrant colors as for sale signs pop up in yards. People are happy and relaxed as the temperature begins to drop. It’s not just a great time for sellers, but with the historically low interest rates we have, buyers are in luck too!

Here are some great tips for attracting the autumn home buyer:

1: Clean up the yard.

Remember to rake dead leaves and debris in your lawn. Don’t let overgrown vegetation block the windows or path to the entrance. Cutting bushes and tree limbs will let the sun inside and showcase the exterior of your home.

2: Create Autumn curb appeal.

Popular autumn flowers are chrysanthemums (or mums), and they bloom for a long time. Marigolds are another idea for fall. Both mums and marigolds are available in yellow, which is my number one home selling color. Plant them in pots. Place pots on the steps and along the sidewalk. Accent with pumpkins or other types of squash.

3: Clean the windows. 

We all know that rain and wind from over the summer months can make your windows dusty and streaked by the time autumn rolls around. You might not notice smudges, but buyers will, if only on a subconscious level. Your windows need to sparkle to sell a home.

4: Check your HVAC.

When was the last time you changed your furnace filter? You can buy 90-day furnace filters at any home improvement store. Check the HVAC system before you need to turn on the heater. Remember that the buyer will ask a home inspector to look at your HVAC, so If you discover problems with your furnace, it’s better to fix them before your home goes on the market, and it will help the buyer’s piece of mind.

5: Utilize Autumn Accent Colors.

We usually recommend going with neutral colors when it comes to painting walls as we prepare homes to be put on the market. When it comes to accent colors of furniture and staging in the fall, things change. Now, you don’t need to dump a lifeless sofa when you can accessorize its dullness with bright red, orange and/or golden yellow pillows. Toss a quilt or autumn-colored throw over a chair. After you’ve cleared away the clutter and depersonalized each room, bring a few autumn hues to each room by placing bold-colored accent pieces in odd groupings such as 3’s and 5’s. Create an autumn centerpiece for the dining room table by arranging pine cones and nuts around orange candles, stick in a few leaves from the yard.

6: Turn On lights EVERYWHERE. 

As we all know, Fall and Winter here in the Pacific Northwest can be….DARK! So during your Open Houses/Showing Above all, bring in the light!  When days get shorter, the sun sets lower in the horizon and casts wider shadows. Pull up the blinds, open the shutters, push back the drapes on every window. Turn on every light in the house, including appliance lights and closet lights. Brighten darker rooms with few windows by placing spotlights on the floor behind furniture (or anywhere).

7: Prepare your home with Autumn Smells. 

If you are planning on having an open house, or a schedules showing, you might set out freshly baked pumpkin cupcakes or simmer hot apple cider on the stove. Put a tray of cinnamon sticks on the counter, dotted with whole cloves. Prop open a cookbook to an autumn stew. Fill a bowl with crisp red apples. Buyers and Sellers love the feeling of fall comfort.

These are just a few of the tips sellers can use to make their home stand out in the hot fall housing market. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, or to schedule an in-person walk through of your home to see what we could do together to get your home SOLD FAST.