Autumn is the perfect time to sell your home. With the summer holidays over, the children back at school and people feeling refreshed, they’re more focused than ever on finding their dream home, especially if they can move in before the festive season starts.
Here are a few simple but effective ways you can maximise the chances of selling your home during the autumn.
1. Boost your kerb appeal
When your viewers arrive at your home, you want them to be excited by their first impression and keen to buy. You can ensure this happens by taking a few simple steps.
- Get rid of clutter
- Make sure your garden, path, front door, and windows are clean
- Sweep up fallen leaves
- Ensure your gutters are clear
- Prune back your plants
- Hide your bins (if possible)
These tasks don’t need to take long but they will create an attractive, buyer-friendly appearance from the very start.
2. Optimise your lighting for autumn
Lighting is everything when it comes to selling your home- the more natural light the better.
However, during the autumn we are faced with cloudier and darker days which can potentially impact your ability to sell your home as quickly as you would like. With a few tweaks, you can turn the seasonal changes into an advantage and create a cosy, welcoming home that invites buyers in.
First, maximise any natural light you have coming into your home by opening up those curtains, rolling up your blinds and removing any plants that might be obscuring the daylight.
Secondly, avoid bright, harsh overhead lighting and instead place lamps or even candles throughout your home to create that cosy-feel.
Finally, if you’re hosting an evening property viewing, put the lights on in all rooms beforehand to make the most of the opportunity to sell.
3. Make your property comfortably warm
Prospective buyers want to visit a home that feels warm, snug, and welcoming, especially during the autumn and winter months.
If your home is draughty or cold, they’re unlikely to request a second viewing, let alone buy. That’s why you should ensure the temperature throughout your home is exactly right before they visit.
Pop the heating on, making sure it’s not too hot and not too cold and tackle any draughts by getting draught-proofing strips for your windows or doors, filling any gaps around windows or skirting boards, getting draught excluders and consider adding insulation to your attic, loft or cavity walls.
4. Reduce odours
When your home is closed up for the autumn, cooking smells, pet odours and other unpleasant scents are likely to build up. The only problem is, we often don’t notice when we spend so much time in our homes. But your buyers will!
The easiest way to avoid this embarrassment is to open up your windows and let the fresh air inside. This will also help reduce condensation and mould and help your home smell fresher and more attractive.
Also consider cleaning your carpets as they can accumulate odours over time without you realising. By doing so, you’ll also freshen up the appearance of your home- a double win!
5. Decorate for autumn
Staging your home can entice buyers and make it sell faster. This involves simply preparing your home for the potential buyer by cleaning, arranging your furniture and adding certain decorative features to maximise the appeal of the property.
Why not switch up your soft furnishings for autumn by adding cushions, throws and dried flowers in seasonal colours? Or adding cosy blankets, throws and candles for an extra homely feel?
Consider your outside space as well. The summer blooms may have gone but you can still enhance your garden with seasonal colours. The hues of autumn can be spectacular so it might be worth a trip to your local garden centre and pick up some suitable pots and plants.
6. Clean and declutter
Above all else, ensure your home is clean and clutter-free before any prospective buyers come to view your property.
Start by clearing away anything you’re not using, whether that means getting organised and placing items into storage under your bed or in the cupboards or even placing currently unused items into the garage or any outbuildings you may have.
Then continue keeping your house clean as possible, wiping down surfaces regularly or even hiring a cleaner temporarily. You will be surprised at the difference that this can make.
7. Arrange early viewings (if you can)
During the autumn, the days are shorter and so those evening property viewings aren’t going to showcase your home at its best.
That’s why, wherever possible, you should arrange your viewing for the morning or afternoon even if that means taking time off work. Alternatively, arrange for your estate agent to conduct the viewing. The difference it will make is well worth the effort and potential inconvenience.
Summary
Follow the tips we’ve shared here, and you’ll be even more likely to sell your home during the autumn whilst maximising your profit.
Make that first impression count, make your home warm and cosy, clear away clutter, add seasonal features and organise viewings for the daytime whenever possible.
This will give you the best opportunity to make that quick sale.
