When you’re preparing to sell your home, there’s a must-do set of criteria to follow, no matter when you list it. Additionally, there are some seasonal items to put on your home selling checklist to help facilitate a successful sale. Read on for what you need to know when you’re preparing to sell your home in the fall or winter.
Lean Into the Season
If you have an outdoor fireplace or fire pit, stage it with chairs, blankets, cordless lamps and a tray of hot chocolate or s’mores accessories.
Highlight the Summer Landscaping
Keep a photobook of your summer garden and landscaping, and include photographs of the flowers in full bloom, the lush landscaping and the green grass.
Maintain Meticulously
When the leaves begin to fall, a property can quickly become messy and uncared for. Depending on the leaf fall in your area, commit to daily or even twice-daily leaf blowing to keep the walkways clear. Also, have a snow removal service on standby if your home is on the market when the temperatures dip below freezing.
Freshen the Exterior
Like you would in the spring, powerwash the exterior to remove the summer and early fall grime. After power-washing the home, lay a fresh mulch bed for a crisp, landscaped look.
Highlight the Natural Light
Even though it’s cold outside, you can still enjoy the sunshine indoors. Highlight the natural light your home receives by opening heavy window treatments, rearranging furniture that blocks light sources and trimming any outside trees or shrubs that block the light.
Add Additional Light Sources
No matter how much natural light your home receives, during the chillier months, people crave warmth and coziness. Add additional table and floor lamps to bring in extra light and create a cozy, ambient feel. Adding exterior landscaping lighting, such as walkway lighting and spotlights, can also highlight your home’s exterior selling points and create an illuminated first impression, especially if buyers see the home later in the day.
Service the Furnace
If your home is on the market when the outdoor temperatures warrant turning on the indoor heat, the HVAC system should be in top-notch condition. The last thing you want is waking up the morning of an open house to low temperatures, only to find out the heater isn’t working. Plan in advance by having the HVAC system professionally serviced and the filters changed.
Embrace the Season
People naturally gravitate to staying home during the colder months. Leaning into this feeling of home means staging the house with throw pillows and blankets in rich textures and warm colors, turning on the fireplace, turning on all the lamps and displaying seasonal foliage. With the holidays coming up, setting the dining room table can serve as an aspiration for homebuyers’ own holiday traditions. Freshly baked seasonal goods or beverages can be a welcomed final touch.
