Four Things to Do When Your Home Is on the Market as the Seasons Change

As a Virginia and Maine-licensed residential real estate broker, I see a lot of homes that go on the market in the fall or winter, and stay on the market right through the spring and summer. While homes on the market for that long are typically not market-priced, there are some things you can do to minimize the impact of having your home for sale that long.

-- Update Online Pictures: Your agent DID hire a professional photographer, didn't they? Good photographers can make any listing look bigger, better and brighter online and since that's where most people start their search for homes, your online pictures have to be stellar.

But if your exterior shots show snow, bare trees and shaggy, brown grass and bushes, it's time for new pictures. Arrange to have spring pictures shot as soon as either the snow melts, the flowers are up or the trees leaf out. Nothing says, 'look! My home has been on the market for months so something must be wrong!' more than 2 feet of snow in mid-May pictures.

-- No Holiday Decorations: Everything must go. Your exterior Christmas lights, the manger scene in the front yard, anything that identities a winter holiday needs to be removed. You may love the holidays and want to celebrate all year long, but most buyers do not, and will find this a big turn-off.

-- Exterior Clean Up: Put away the snow shovels and snow-throwers; clean up the salt and sand left over from the winter if that's a concern where you live, and put your spring yard clean up into high gear, well before you might normally tackle this. In most places, serious buyers start emerging well before spring is in full swing, before the last of the snow melts and before the clocks get set back. You need to be show-ready for buyer drive-by's as soon as you can be. You want buyers to see you're doing everything possible to show off the property. The grass may not be green yet or completely visible, but making an effort now will pay off.

-- Think Interior: A lot of folks have winter/cold weather/holiday decorations, color schemes, bed spreads, kitchen and bathroom linens that are heavier, darker and more fall-and-winterish than at other times of the year. If that's not you, you're set. However, if you do embrace the seasonal changes as an opportunity to do a little bit of creative decor changing, convert everything to lighter, brighter fabrics; pillow cases, kitchen towels, bathroom towels, everything should read spring/summer/warmer weather.

Buyers, even if they don't know it, are looking at properties and making assumptions both online and in person about the ready, willing, and able-ness of the sellers to accept an offer and act quickly. Ensuring that your property screams, 'we're paying attention,' goes a long way to helping buyers see that you're serious.

More from this contributor:
Selling a Home? Five Reasons Why Offering a Home Warranty to Potential Buyers is a No-Brainer
Creating a Seller's Notebook for Potential Buyers: 20 Ideas to Help Buyers See Your House is the One!
Understanding the Effects of Price Reductions on Real Estate