Keys To Selling Your Home In The Fall

Northeast Ohio can be breathtaking in the fall.  Geauga County offers some of the most beautiful foliage and color changes you’ll see anywhere in the country.  But while it’s beautiful to look at the leaves on a sunny October weekend drive, the fall season doesn’t traditionally lend itself to selling your home.  Though spring is the optimal time of year to move your real estate, buyers in the fall can be very serious candidates and are often motivated to move quickly.  Just like your circumstances have put you in a position to sell at an off-peak time, the potential buyers might have situations occurring in their lives, such as an unexpected move for work, that are forcing them to move quickly.  As always, the best thing you can do as a seller is be prepared.  Here are some tips to make sure you’re making the most out of your autumn sales cycle.

Get out the rakes

Autumn lawn maintenance can get messy.  Leaves can pile up quickly and sometimes we get a little lax with our mowing and trimming because we know that snow is around the corner in Northeast Ohio.  But selling your home this time of year requires the outside of your home to be in pristine condition.  So throw on that sweatshirt and enjoy the autumn air with some lawn work.

Let there be light

With each passing day, our nights become longer and our days dwindle.  Because most of your showings are going to occur in the evenings, you want to make your home as bright as possible, both inside and out.  Floodlights to accent your home’s exterior features are a huge plus, and keeping the inside illuminated will increase the buyer’s comfort.

Highlight the cozy

If you have any features that make your home a little more inviting this time of year, accentuate them.  Many homes in Northeast Ohio have fireplaces, and these are accents that gain prominence in the fall and winter.  Finished basements are an attractive selling point for young families looking to keep their little ones occupied in the coming winter.  Show off these features that might have been overlooked when the temperatures were higher.

Prepare to be flexible

Back to school time, football season, the holidays- there are many distractions this time of year.  Just as your schedule becomes hectic in the fall, your potential buyer will likely have similar circumstances in their lives.  Prepare to work around a chaotic schedule.  The more limber you are with your time, the more likely you are to close your sale before the snow falls.

Easy on the decorations

While it’s fun to decorate for Halloween and the holidays, we don’t all have the same taste in holiday décor.  If you like to turn your home into a spooky haunted house or a winter wonderland, it might be best to wait until you’ve settled into your new home to continue the practice.  Too many holiday accents can be a turn off to a potential buyer and during this season you can’t afford to miss an opportunity.

O’Reilly Team is committed to helping you achieve your real estate goals, whether that means putting your home up for sale in the Northeast Ohio real estate market or selling land at auction.  Let us get started by answering your questions today, and we’ll help you get ready to sell your home this fall.