Selling your house in the 2023 Fall Real Estate Market

Fall is a great time to sell your home. There is typically less competition than during the spring market; buyers tend to enter the market again now that summer is over and school routines are in place. Plus, autumn colours and cozy vibes can make your property more beautiful and appealing to potential buyers –who doesn’t love fireplaces and mums!?

Keeping your house show-ready and accommodating showings on a moment’s notice is one of the worst parts of selling. However, the more people that go through your house, the higher your odds of success. Go for a walk, visit friends, take the dog to the park, whatever you choose to do, come up with ideas in advance.

Remember that even though the time may not be convenient for you, it’s also not always convenient for the buyer. Perhaps they work in the City, finish at 5:00 p.m., pick up their kids at 5:45 p.m., drive to your suburban property by 6:45 p.m., and have basketball practice at 7:30 p.m.; perhaps, they’re out of town the rest of the week. Do everything you can to accommodate every request –we can’t stress this enough.

We’re seeing properties take months to sell, compared to weeks more recently and days not long ago. As a result, many real estate agents have stopped staging because the carrying costs add up quickly. This means that much of your competition doesn’t look very nice; this is the time to double down on making your house look amazing!

REALTOR® TIP: Now is the time to put more, not less, effort into preparing properties. That means spending money on proper staging, professional photos and videos, online and social media marketing, and running open houses.

Fall Season Selling Tips

First Impressions

Our team really should have GoPro® cameras strapped to their foreheads. You’d be blown away at how easily people are turned off or onto a property. It all starts with walking up the driveway; comments on the condition of the driveway, the garage door, the gardens, and superficial things like potted plants, which aren’t included with the sale anyway, can get somebody excited or discouraged for the rest of the visit.

Take the initiative to cut the grass, edge the gardens, lay new mulch in the gardens, and paint the garage and front doors before the cold sets in too much.

To Do:

• Cut the grass
• Edge gardens
• Lay mulch
• Paint garage door
• Paint the front door
• Touch-up your house numbers
• Grab potted plants for the porch or walkway

Gas Fireplaces

This is the perfect time of year to showcase your gas fireplace. The warmth and ambiance will melt the right buyer’s heart. Turn the fireplace on for showings, or at a minimum, have instructions informing visitors to use it. If it’ll be a tad too warm, consider cracking a window for some cool fresh air to offset the heat.

To Do:

• Open the glass cover and dust the inside of the fireplace
• Clean the inside of the glass
• Run the fireplace in advance to remove any unpleasant burning smells that come with the first burn, and to ensure it works

Deep Clean

The 2023 Fall real estate market has brought a LOT of new listings, but competition isn’t fierce. Many of these properties are an eyesore, especially with an abundance of people ‘trying the market’, people who typically don’t invest much into the presentation.  As a result, going the extra mile with a deep clean will pay off.

To Do:

• Run the oven’s self-clean feature (buyers ALWAYS comment on how clean appliances are)
• Organize your kitchen cupboards and closets throughout the house
• Clean your baseboards, or, better yet, give them a fresh coat of paint
• Clean caulking and grout where needed
• Clean windows inside and out

Out Door Furniture

I almost ended the blog before being reminded about the benefits of outdoor living! Over the last few years, finished outdoor living space has become HIGH on buyers’ list of must-haves. If you have a patio, pergola, hot tub, pool, anything!! Keep your furniture and decor out until you absolutely have to put it away. Helping people envision the use and function of these areas adds tremendous value.

Tackle each of these three areas in preparation for selling, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful sale.

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