“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” -Stanley Horowitz
Autumn presents some unique opportunities for selling your home in Southeastern Wisconsin. Many people (I would guess most) answer “fall” when asked what their favorite season is. There is something cheerful about the bright tree colors and the crisp autumn air.
Linda Swan & Associates, ReMax-Elite has sold hundreds of homes and some of the quickest sales have happened after the kids are back at school, vacations are over and the Packers and Badgers have taken over our television sets on those crisp October weekends.
Although most people think of summer as prime home sales time, fall actually is just as good and, in some ways, better. The numbers of people are statistically lower (fall is the second best season for selling) but the buyers are serious and the opportunities to maximize your home’s curb appeal should not be understated.
Granted, you will want to complete your sale before the holidays set in. With a great realtor there is no reason why you cannot accomplish all of your goals – price and timing included.
Successful fall home sellers are usually the ones who embrace the season. Make sure you rake up the leaves in your yard and remove summer growth away from windows and doors so potential buyers will get the best picture of the home you are hoping they will consider purchasing.
Cut down dead or dying flowers. Better yet, replace them with flowers and/or plants that flourish in the autumn. Mums are a great choice and they come in a variety of colors. Marigolds provide that bright cheery yellow that makes your home seem happy and welcoming.
Be sure to clean all of your windows – inside and out. Windows need to sparkle and there is nothing more attractive than a fall view, through a shiny window, while touring a home.
It is important that you also make sure the air in your home is fresh. You can even enhance the fall experience of your home tour with some cinnamon sticks or a pumpkin pie fresh out of the oven.
Although not as much fun as the staging and decorating you can do in the fall, be sure your mechanical systems are in working order. This includes your water heater, furnace and air conditioner. There is nothing more frustrating than having a smooth property transaction delayed by issues uncovered by a home inspector.
Put some pumpkins out on the front porch. Maybe even add some straw to the porch and a fall wreath on the front door?
Pick some apples and put a basket of polished ripe apples on the kitchen table. Also think fall in any centerpieces you have in the house. Use fall colors – oranges, reds, yellows, browns – for pillows and throws. Toss a rust colored quilt over your favorite recliner.
Turn on all of the lights in the house during the tour. Although this holds true for every season, in the fall, you can really get a sense of those great fall colors with adequate lighting.
Play some fall music for the tours. Songs like See You in September by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons or One by One by Enya.
Linda Swan & Associates, ReMax-Elite knows the Kenosha market as good as anybody and she is in constant contact with other local realtors about their potential buyers. Translated, that means Linda Swan is your best bet for connecting with the person looking for a home just like the one you are selling.
It’s a seller’s market in Kenosha in some price categories. Serious sellers, besides taking all of the above steps to make their home more attractive, will also analyze the market and price their home realistically.
