On average, there’s no better time of the year to sell your house than the summer. Whereas the spring is often when sellers list in order to take advantage of the buying frenzy, the summer is where the dust clears and the serious buyers are looking to make a deal and make a move. Don’t just take our word for it, the National Association of Realtors says over 40 percent of home sales happen between May through August. So if you’re looking for a good time to sell on the open market, summer is usually the way to go. Let’s find out how to sell your home for the right price this summer.
Keep Up the Curb Appeal
If you’re wondering how to sell your home for the right price this summer, the first thing you should consider if how your home looks from the street or as a buyer walks up to your property. You can do wonders renovating or decorating your house, but if you don’t have the good curb appeal you’re probably going to miss out on the kind of buyers excited enough to offer top dollar. So you’re going to want to invest in the overall property, not just the house. That means making sure the lawn is properly mowed, the landscaping looks fresh, the fences have a fresh coat of paint on them, and any flora on the land is getting good upkeep. Basically, if someone was just driving by your house and didn’t know it was for sale, you’d want to make it look so good that they just had to stop and take a closer look.
Remember Your Outdoor Living Spaces
It’s the summer, so naturally, people are thinking about being outdoors. That means they’re really going to be paying attention to the outdoor living spaces connected to your home as they imagine themselves sitting out there on a warm July day. If you’ve got a patio, make sure it’s clean and consider fixing any wear and tear. If you’ve got a deck, make any needed repairs and give it a furniture makeover. Consider the green spaces where buyers might want to hang out or let their kids play and make them as inviting as possible.
Keep Cool
Summer buyers are often looking at a lot of homes. That means a lot of travel, a lot of time being outside, and a lot of sweating. So make sure your home feels like a real haven from the heat when any potential buyers arrive. Make sure the temperature is nice and cool (but not too cold). You can deal with a higher air conditioning bill if it means getting more money from the sale. You should also consider greeting buyers the way you would any guest in your home. Provide them with ice-cold refreshments or bottles of water. Offer up a cold treat they can take with them that will also give them a reminder of your place. Anything that can make the experience stand out can certainly make a lasting impression and can help.
Consider Your Summer Plans
Summers are also when you’re most likely to take a vacation or weekend getaway. We’d say that if you’re selling on the open market you should probably stick around as much as possible, but if you do take a vacation, make sure you’re setting yourself up for success. If you plan to travel far away or might be in a situation where you’re unreachable, even if it’s only for a few hours, make sure your real estate agent knows about it. You never know when time-sensitive decisions need to be made and documents need to be signed.
The Price is Right
You’re selling in the summer because you’re trying to maximize the market, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore current market conditions. One of the worst things anyone can do when selling on the open market is setting the price too high. You immediately scare off most potential buyers and set expectations through the roof. And the longer your house stays on the market, the less likely it is to find a buyer. So it’s important to take a look around the market and see what similar homes are not only priced at but what they are selling for. Your real estate agent should be able to help with this, but make sure you use common sense in order to keep buyers in the ball game and interested.
Clean & Declutter
It goes without saying but you’re always going to want to make sure the interior of your house is in pristine condition. You never know when buyers are going to want to take a look around. Not dealing with your home’s issues means potential buyers who can’t see past the mess will just keep on looking for another place. That’s true whether it’s during a visit or from photos. So make sure the house gets a thorough cleaning and decluttering, whether that’s by you or a company you hire.
Also, keep an eye out for problem areas and repair needs, such as cracks in walls or floor damage. Tiny issues aren’t so tiny when buyers are looking at everything with an eye towards reasons to keep moving. Don’t just throw everything in the closet because buyers will certainly want to look in those as well. If you can, rent a storage unit, and put your extra items in there.
Bring in the Pros
One of the most important things a seller needs to remember is that buyers are looking to buy a house they can see themselves in. So while you might have a great personal style (or at least think you do), you’re going to want your home to look as clean and neutral as possible. Consider bringing in a home stager who can replace your furniture with the right colors and designs to appeal to modern buyers. You’ll also want to hire a real estate photographer to find the angles and spots that make your house really pop. You’ll have to pay a decent amount for good staging and photos, but experts agree that homes that do this often sell faster.
Sell As-Is
Even in the summer, there are no guarantees. You could do everything right and still not get the right buyer or make enough money to offset the many costs involved. So you may want to consider selling the home to a home buying company like Jamie Buys Houses. We’ll buy your house as-is, pay you in cash, and close in a matter of days or whenever works best for you. You can’t get any faster than that. Even if the house is damaged or comes with financial problems that would scare off buyers on the open market, we can work with you on a fair cash offer and get you moving quickly so that you can focus on your next big decision before summer is over.
