Summer is a time of sun, fun, and selling. Actually, home buying heats up in the spring and peaks in June. It remains high throughout the season as parents rush to purchase before school starts.
For home owners, this offers an opportunity – not only is the market hot enough that you can sell your home quickly, but you may also do it at a higher price.
So, how can you make summer work for you? It takes some pro-activeness and staging on your part. Here’s what you need to know:
Make your landscape loveable
Homebuyers don’t care much about landscaping in the dead of winter, but once it warms up, they take notice of your lawn and garden; a home with untrimmed shrubs and dead trees ruins the aesthetic appeal. It may also leave people to assume that if you don’t take care of the outside of your house, you don’t take care of the inside, either.
Showcase your outdoor space
From a patio or a deck to a swimming pool, some homes have exteriors that are major selling points. If this is true for you – your deck comfortably sits a family of twenty and offers everything from a pizza oven to a fire pit – showcase it. Even staging your barbecue with grill mitts and tools can make all the difference.
Use your AC
When holding open houses or showings, crank up the AC. Failing to do this hurts you on two fronts. First of all, it gives people the impression that your air conditioner is broken, something they probably don’t want to deal with. Second of all, it makes your home uncomfortable. People will want to leave, which isn’t your goal. You want them to stay…forever.
Don’t play up what’s not applicable
Your home might have a fireplace with a handcrafted mantle made of rare wood or a hot water tank that practically never runs out of hot water. These are nice things for potential buyers to know, but – in the summer – they shouldn’t be your focal points. Rather, focus on things that people can relate to in that moment; play up your view of the nightly sunset or your award-winning roses in the walkway.
Offer summer treats
Refreshing treats are always appreciated as the temperature spikes. You don’t need to set up an ice cream bar in the corner of your kitchen, but offer lemonade, ice tea, and other cool drinks. Finger sandwiches work, too. Help visitors make themselves at home and get comfortable.
Preparing to sell a house during the summer involves a little extra effort. The above tips don’t guarantee a sale, but they help appease potential buyers. And potential buyers sometimes become actual ones.
If you’re moving to Seattle and the surrounding areas, get in touch with us. We’re here to answer your questions and meet your real estate needs.
