It’s hard to believe fall is already here. As the seasons change so does the real estate market and it’s important to embrace these changes throughout your home to capture every buyer opportunity before the winter slump. If you’re looking to sell your home before year’s end, follow these simple exterior and interior tips to stage your home for the fall season.
Take a look at the trees, shrubs and bushes around your home. Cut away anything dead or overgrown, especially around your windows. This will help safeguard your home from falling debris, as well as allow for maximum natural light to enter the home
The fall is essentially the last time of the year you’ll be able to make any repairs on your roof. Depending on where you live brutal weather can cause leaks, collapses and other damage, so do yourself a favor and schedule an inspection.
This time of year trees shed their leaves and can clog up your gutters. Precipitation during the fall and winter season can lead to hazardous situations, so you’ll want to make sure water has any easy way out away from your home.
Those leaves can also make a mess on your lawn, so rake them frequently while on the market. Also, now is time to repair any brown spots in your lawn and fertilize. Winterize your sprinkler system now too, to save on electricity.
Most of us will have to say goodbye to those fun summer days in the pool. Now is the time to close up the pool and put away or cover up most lawn furniture. Despite colder days, you should still set a scene to entice buyers. Try using an outdoor fire pit, create a seating area where you can chat around the fire, roast marshmallows and sip hot cocoa. Use a string of white lights to highlight the area and don’t forget to add seasonal plants.
Speaking of seasonal plants, change out your containers and pots around your home to show off hardier plants that will flourish this time of year. Try colorful mums, cabbages, goldenrods, burning bush or aster to show off a lively space.
If needed, give your front door a makeover, add a new welcome mat, a few seasonal plants, and pumpkins. Hang a wreath on the door that embraces fall foliage so that it can be used throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. Try adding a seating area if you have space. Put out colorful fall-inspired pillows and a throw when showing.
Check your heater, schedule your oil delivery and get prepared to transfer from the air conditioner to the furnace. When showing your home, you want to make sure it’s the perfect temperature – between 70 and 74 degrees – to reduce any buyer distractions.
During this time of year the fireplace will become the center of attention. Make sure to check the fireplace and chimney are working properly. Create a seating area around the fireplace bring in wood and set-up a fall scene on your mantel.
Treat your windows to a good cleaning inside and out. Change out curtain panels for more luxurious fabrics, like velvet in darker or bolder colors. Make sure to keep your window treatments open during a showing to maximize the amount of natural light entering the home
With shorter days upon us you may need to add more lighting inside your home to highlight space during showings. Have at least three light sources in every room and turn on all the lights when showing your home. Try putting your lights on a timer and keep your front lights on to welcome buyers up to the house.
Beside using light to add warmth to a space, switch out your cooler tone colors, like blues and greens for orange, reds, burgundy, and yellows. Add these colors in your home with paint, curtains, artwork, rug, or other smaller accessories. Remember a little goes a long way with these colors.
Time to add the layers. Bring in textured upholstery in your furniture, window treatments, bedding, pillows, throws and your rugs by using soft plush materials, burlap, silk, fur, velvet and other heavier durable materials
Intrigue the senses this fall by adding familiar fall scents, like vanilla, pumpkin spice, and apple cinnamon.
Time to remove the lighter colored accents, summer photos, boating, fiesta and beach house themes and replace those accessories with warmer colors. As mentioned above, pumpkins, owls or birds, leaves or other natural elements that reminds you of farms and harvesting time.
There are a few different holidays that happen in autumn, the most popular being Halloween and Thanksgiving. Regardless of what you’re celebrating don’t over decorate your home; it will distract buyers and clutter up your space deflecting from the positive features and square footage you’re trying to show off. Take a cue from nature and show off corn stalks, pumpkins and flowers, rather than ghosts, goblins and turkeys. If you decorate with nature in mind, you’re décor will last all season long.
For more home staging tips to get your home sold before year’s end, learn more about Tori Toth’s new online home staging video course called the Stage 2 Sell Strategy. This D-I-Y course allows you to stage your home for less money while receiving advice from experts along the way.
