Summer means vacations, leisurely pool days and outdoor entertaining. Listing your home during the summer and keeping it in show-ready condition isn’t always ideal, but the effort will pay off when you accept the offer on your home. In addition, listing your home during the summer means you can capitalize on a low-inventory market and appeal to buyers with a sense of urgency, among other benefits. If you plan on listing your home during the summer, read for tips to navigate the selling experience.
Hire a Professional Landscaping Service
Your home’s curb appeal is critical during the summer. It’s your home’s first impression and the best time of year to take advantage of the lush grass, vibrant garden and seasonal foliage. Hire landscapers to ensure your home’s landscaping is optimal, laying down sod and planting additional shrubbery and flowers where needed. Have a lawn mowing service come weekly, so your yard always has a fresh cut.
Hire a Weekly Cleaning Service
Between vacations, children home from school and a desire to be outside to enjoy the nice weather, cleaning can be challenging to keep up with. Have a cleaning service come weekly to keep your home in showing-ready condition. Then, if you have last-minute showings, you can give your surfaces a once-over clean and feel confident they recently had a deeper clean.
Enroll Your Children in Summer Camp
If you have school-aged children, summer camps have many benefits socially, emotionally, physically and academically. Another advantage of summer camp when your home is on the market is you won’t have to scramble to find activities for your kids when last-minute showings come up. If your real estate broker can schedule the showings during camp hours, it will be a less chaotic experience.
Create a Laid Back Summer Feeling
Summer is a laid-back time, where the pace naturally slows down. Replicate this feeling in your home by playing a summer soundtrack, lighting a candle or diffusing a fresh summer scent, displaying fresh flowers and hanging a minimal amount of summer-inspired art and photos.
Keep the House Cool
Even if you prefer to forego air conditioning instead of open windows, turn on the air conditioning before showings and open houses, to create a cool environment that is a reprieve from the summer heat.
Highlight the Outdoor Space
Create a welcoming outdoor scene on your deck or patio by creating a proper outdoor living space. Anchor your outdoor furniture with an outdoor rug, create defined dining and living areas and tie the space together with a sun umbrella, outdoor cushions, pillows and conversation areas. Potted flowers and even a styled bar cart can create an aspirational atmosphere for buyers.
Maximize the Natural Light
Let the summer’s gorgeous sun shine through your home, by removing furniture that blocks the windows and opening the window treatments. If you have heavy drapery, consider switching it out for lighter, breezier curtains. Natural light tops many buyer’s lists, and there’s no better time than summer to highlight the light your home receives
