The fall is upon us and temperatures have already begun to drop, as has the housing inventory throughout much of the North of Boston area. Most homeowners plan on waiting until the spring to put their home on the market but why wait?

Lower inventory means less competition and, in this seller’s market, this could present an opportunity for you to garner an attractive deal for your home. While the spring typically offers a larger buyer pool, the fall market often brings more serious buyers who MUST buy; whether it be caused by relocation, not having an offer accept in the previous season on market, getting married or other major life events.

Thanks to the Internet it’s easier than ever for people to search homes all year round; continually creating interest, thereby eliminating an “off season” in home-selling or buying anymore. In fact, factors like listing price, condition, location, and the Realtor you work with prove to have more influence on your success than the season.

That being said, how do you ensure that your home fetches top dollar?

Start by enlisting a real estate agent and making a list of needed projects to maximize the potential of your home. An experienced Realtor will be up-to-date on the current (and ever-changing) market conditions and the right listing price for your home. He/she will help you identify if any improvements or upgrades could be beneficial before selling and will also assist you in navigating the many steps of selling, while helping you with the art of negotiation.

Evaluating Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is critical because many prospective buyers will only drive by your home. Ideally, you want every person who stops and looks at the house from the curb to be sufficiently enamored that they desire to come in and see more.

Landscaping

In the fall, there are a few seasonally-specific tasks you’ll want to complete. The change of season brings falling leaves and other debris. Keeping a raked yard will make a big difference in the appearance of your home.

After the dry summer we’ve had, watering your lawn so it greens up or remains green is also important. If you do have dry/dead patches of lawn, get some quick grow grass seed repair kits that cover up those dead spots by allowing new grass to come in quickly. If you have any landscaping plants that did not survive the summer due to heat or drought then now is time to replace them with colorful and more vibrant plants. Look for cool season fall plants that bring out a pop of color to your home such as daisies, calendula, tulips, daffodils and more.

One of the best and easiest curb appeal improvement tips is to refresh your mulch beds. Buy bulk mulch from your local hardware store and have it laid out over existing mulch beds to give a clean fresh look to that part of your landscaping.

Exterior Maintenance

It’s a dirty task, but cleaning your gutters is another must. Part of the curb appeal of your house also includes exterior paint, garage doors, front doors, windows, roof and more. If the exterior of your home has not been painted recently a fresh coat of paint should be applied to all exterior paintable surfaces. Note: Painting should be done early in the fall before temperatures drop below freezing.

Preparing the Interior of the Home

Once the exterior of the house is all set, it is time to focus on the interior of the house. After all you don’t want buyers to come in your home based on great curb appeal only to be let down with an interior that is lacking.

Decorating Tips for the Fall

Fall provides home sellers with a great chance to display the “cozy” aspects of their homes. Take this opportunity to stage your home with seasonal charm. Warmer colors may help contrast the cooler weather. Decorating your home with tasteful fall décor can add to the autumnal allure of the season. If you want to decorate based on the season follow the same tips for outdoor seasonal decor and keep it neutral rather to appeal to a broader range of buyers.

A popular way to make your home smell as good as it looks is by baking a cake or pie. Since you’re selling your home in the fall, consider baking an apple or pumpkin pie. Other popular ways to make your home smell fresh while selling it in the fall include; brewing a fresh pot of pumpkin coffee, boiling cinnamon sticks or burning fall scented candles.

Another important tip to prepare your home for showings during the fall season is to make sure you turn on all the lights in your home. Since the number of daylight hours in the fall decreases, it’s more likely your home will be shown when it is dark outside. Having all of the lights on in your home for showings will help make your home appear larger, as will decluttering and throwing away unused belongings.

Systems Maintenance

Buyers are looking for move-in ready homes and doing your best to deliver such will set you up for great success in selling your home. One of the most common problems resulting from home inspections relates to a home’s HVAC system. At the very least, it’s common for a buyer to ask homeowners to have the furnace inspected and cleaned prior to closing. Having your furnace inspected and cleaned by a HVAC specialist prior to selling your home can be beneficial, providing the receipt as proof it has already been completed!

Another important inspection and cleaning that should be done if you’re selling your home in the fall centers on your chimney. How recently was your chimney checked and serviced? If your home has a wood burning fireplace, it’s also recommended you have it inspected and swept yearly.

Being Realistic

It may not be possible to complete the entire checklist of items prior to getting your home listed within a reasonable amount of time. Therefore it is important that you be realistic and prioritize your list of projects. Look at your overall list and decide on the things you want to handle yourself. Nearly all do-it-yourself projects take longer than you think, so be realistic about what you can accomplish on your own. Then determine the projects you are unable to do yourself. Group the projects by category. Many times service professionals prefer to receive larger projects, and you will save money by having everything repaired and updated simultaneously.

Selling a home in the fall can be a perfect opportunity to present your home in its best light. If you decide to take the plunge, taking the above steps can help expedite the sale of your home and also maximize the sale price!

Want to start with a complimentary valuation of what your home might be worth in today’s market or need recommendations for a landscaper, painter or stager to help you get started? Contact us here or call 781-729-2329 x1. We would be honored to help you in any way that we can.

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