tips for listing your home in the fall

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The leaves are turning, the air is getting crisp, and the temperatures are cooling. We are officially entering the fall season. As we gear up for autumn, we are feeling enthusiastic about what this time of year means for the real estate market.

Fall is often considered a slow season in real estate, but we think that it’s a great time to sell a home. With less inventory on the market, there is less competition for sellers. Meanwhile, neighborhoods are bustling, giving buyers an authentic view of their new potential community. Cozy fall stagings, fewer sellers to compete with, and great weather for viewings make fall an excellent time to list your home.

Preparing Your Home to List in the Fall

Prepping your home for a fall sell involves the same basic principals as any other time of year while taking into consideration the season’s features and unique home needs. To get your home ready, we recommend:

 

Repairing/Cleaning

Spring and summer can leave dust, pollen, and various other bits of grime on your home. Before listing, it’s a good idea to clean off remnants of past seasons. On the exterior:

  • Wash summer dust from windows

  • Scrub the cobwebs and rain stains from porches, patios, and door exteriors

  • Pull weeds

  • Rake leaves

  • Clean gutters

Stand in your exterior walkway and take a thorough look at what needs to be freshened. As homeowners, it can be easy to ignore or put these tasks off, but these are the details that buyers notice.

Meanwhile, on the interior:

  • Change your air filters and make sure the HVAC system is ready. Your heating system can get dusty when it isn’t in use so make sure to change your filters and have your HVAC inspected to avoid any last minute repairs or the smell of burning dust.

  • Clean out your fireplace. As the weather cools, buyers will appreciate moving into a home with a fireplace that is ready to go. Plus, having a fire going during cold-day viewings won’t hurt!

  • Check weather stripping and replace if necessary.

Adding these tasks to your basic cleaning plan can go a long way with buyers who are planning a fall move.

 

Neutralizing

Buyers need to be able to envision themselves living in your home. This means making it appeal to a wide range of people. Now is the time to store any decor that is specific to you (like pictures and collectibles) as well as any items that are too bold or out of season. This will not only give you the advantage of appealing to a wider audience, but it will give you an opportunity to stage with autumn in mind.

Staging

Fall staging is all about upping your home’s coziness. The imagery of the season lends itself to easy, effective, and inexpensive staging opportunities. You can:

  • Use fall edibles like pumpkins, cinnamon, and apples to decorate. Place a few pumpkins around the home and on your porch, use a gorgeous bowl filled with apples as your table centerpiece, or place little bundles of cinnamon sticks strategically throughout.

  • Scent your home for the season. Fall candles and plugins are great for this however you don’t want to go overboard since many people are sensitive to scents. If you want a gentler or more natural alternative, make a fall simmer pot, or bake something delicious!

  • Decorate for fall holidays. This is an excellent way to stick out among the competition, but remember to keep it tasteful and generic to appeal to a broad set of people. Nothing gory or scary for Halloween.

Before listing your home be sure to ask your real estate agent if they have experience selling in the fall, and what they recommend you do to prepare.

At shelter, we believe that this is a great season to sell. The market may not be as generous as it is in the summer, but fall brings along its own advantages. With the right preparations, you could be on your way to a good start. If you’re interested in selling your home and would like to know your home’s worth, visit us at discoversheltersearch.com. To get updates on Denver’s real estate market, receive tips and tricks for fall home care, or to just keep up with the shelter team, be sure to follow us on Facebook.