Spring and summer alike bring Ann Arbor residents outside to enjoy the weather and kiss the long winter goodbye. Selling your home this summer is not only a good decision due to market conditions, but also because more foot traffic occurs during the summertime. Kids are out of school and families prefer to relocate during this time before school starts. Keep in mind that even though this is a seller-friendly market, you still need to keep your home in tip-top shape in order to sell. Follow our tips below in order to create a summer friendly home for incoming buyers.
Keepin’ it Cool
Prospective buyers are usually ready to buy and buy quickly in the summer due to relocation and wanting to buy before the school year. This means that little things will either win them over or turn them away, due to how quickly they need to make a decision. Make it easy for them to choose your home by creating a comfortable and cool summer atmosphere. Adjust your air conditioner so the temperature is more comfortable inside than outdoors, or use portable fans to increase air flow. The point is to keep the air inside circulating so your visitors will want to take time to explore your home and its features.
Going Green and Staying that Way
Make your home look welcoming and warm by keeping the lawn mowed and trimming shrubs. A simple trick to add dimension to your front yard is to cut your lawn on the diagonal. Plant flowers to give your property an inviting appearance. This maximizes the curb appeal and creates interest.
Bright Whites
You want to show off your home to its full potential and in order to do so, the lights should be kept on. Another way to brighten up your home is to re-paint in neutral tones or whites. This is an easy fix that does double duty to brighten up your home and create a clean palate for buyers to make their home. If you have heavy drapes, remove them since they make a room look smaller. Pull-up blinds or use tie-backs to let in more sunlight in.
Summer Decor
If you have painted the walls neutral colors or whites then a great way to bring in some color is through accents such as pillows, bowls, flowers or picture frames. Just a pop of color goes a long way and an easy way to incorporate natural tones is placing house plants throughout. Blues and greens go well with neutral tones and create a serene atmosphere for incoming buyers. Sheer curtains and textured throw pillows can add emphasis to any room. Combining other elements such as mirrors to add more light and new patio furniture for summer entertaining make the home more welcoming.
Flexible Summer Schedules
In the summer even though children may be out of school, the parents will necessarily have all the time in the world to look at homes. Everyone from incoming grad students and professors to relocating families and young professionals has schedules all over the board. Ready yourself for this by creating a short-notice plan. This plan will include a system as to what to do when you have the opportunity for a last-minute showing and will include where to stash kids or pet toys for example. Pre-planning and organizing your home will allow for these situations. Some buyers schedules make it necessary to look at homes at twilight or later in the evening after dinner, so be flexible about scheduling showings. Most buyers feel much more comfortable if the owner isn’t around so make that happen as much as possible.
Selling your home this summer will be a breeze if you take the right steps. If you and your agent have priced the home wisely, prepared your curb appeal and made necessary updates, you are well on your way to selling your home. Make sure to not forget the little details mentioned above, because in the end, they make all the difference. If you have more questions about selling your home this summer, please don’t hesitate to ask. Our Definitive Guide to Selling Your Home is also an excellent way to fill in the blanks of the selling process.
