Tips for Selling Your Home in the Fall

Although the best season to sell your home is in the late spring and early summer, fall ranks second. As an added bonus, you won't have as much competition if your home is on the market now as opposed to in the spring when school is almost out. The past two times we've had a home on the market, it's been in the fall season.

But what about the housing market? Is there even hope of making a sale with house sales remaining low? Even though it's a slow housing market, you can still do practical, as well as creative techniques to make your house pop and stand out among the other houses on the market. Here are few tips to selling your house in the fall.

Outside appearance---Good curb appeal and well-groomed yards---If your home doesn't have good curb appeal, chances are prospective buyers won't want to even walk inside. If you live in a warm or tropical area, such as Florida, perhaps you can plant a few colorful annuals to give your yard some color. That's what our real estate agent suggested eight years ago when we had our South Florida home on the market in the fall. I confess---I don't have a green thumb, but at least my zinnias lasted for a few weeks to attract buyers.

Clean gutters---Regularly check your gutters to clear them of leaves and debris.

Although fall is a gorgeous time of year, you'll want to make sure your lawn is free of leaves and other yard debris. If the task is overwhelming, then consider hiring a neighborhood teen to do the job while you focus on the inside of your house.

If the outside of your house needs sprucing up, fall is a great time to give it a fresh coat of paint. Most realtors will agree that painting your home (whether inside our outside) is the cheapest and best way to improve it

Fall wreaths and centerpieces---As your front door is one of the first places a buyer notices (after scanning your front lawn), you'll want to make sure you have an attractive fall wreath to adorn your door. For example, take a grapevine and cover it with dried fall flowers and acorns. The possibilities are many----Just make a wreath that will make your door say, "Welcome!" Also use small pumpkins on your front steps, leading up to your stoop. I saw this technique used quite often when we lived up north.

As for centerpieces, there are just as many possibilities as wreaths. One of my favorite fall centerpieces is an arrangement of small pumpkins and leaves, surrounded by a ring of fall flowers. Besides gracing your dining room table, place some more small pumpkins on your fireplace mantle to emphasis how comfortable your home is during fall.

And, as fall is the season for apples (especially if you live in New England), make sure your kitchen is full of inviting spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and other fall fragrances. A fresh apple pie on the kitchen mantle gives the impression that this is a great kitchen to do holiday baking.

Good lighting---Because fall ushers in shorter and darker days, be sure your home has plenty of good quality lighting. Also, keep your windows sparkling clean and free of pet's and small children's fingers and nose prints.

Comfortable room temperatures---If you live in a cold climate where fall can feel more like winter, it pays to keep your house as warm (but not too warm) as potential buyers will be coming to inspect your house. You don't want your guests to get the false impression that your home isn't properly heated.

Finally, as in any season, the most important tip for selling your home is to constantly declutter. When your home is not cluttered, it makes each room appear larger than it would be when it is jumbled with stuff. What's more, take down any personal knickknacks or family portraits from your walls. Buyers want to visualize what your home looks like without your stuff so they can picture their own stuff in your rooms. A good rule of thumb to remember is "less is more".