Now the holidays are over and it’s back to business as usual, you may be focusing on your next project. If you have plans to put your house on the market, Autumn has traditionally been be a great time to sell. The desire to be in by Christmas can really motivate buyers to ramp up their search, and once under offer, everyone generally wants to move quickly.
If you are thinking of selling this Autumn, here are some tips and hints to help you get your sale off to a good start.
Dress your home for Autumn
The easiest way to sell your home before Christmas and for the highest price, is to make your viewers fall in love with it. Focus on selling the type of lifestyle your home has to offer so that your viewers can imagine themselves living there. Think about the best way to bring the season indoors and create a warm and cosy atmosphere.
- Get the lighting right
Use the season to your advantage: if the house feels dark, make the most of it and create a homely, welcoming space with some cleverly placed lighting. If practical, turn on the lights in every room before a viewing. Try to use side or table lamps rather than harsher overhead lighting and if there are any broken bulbs, replace them. Soft lighting from candles or fairy lights can help to set the scene during an evening viewing.
- Seasonal fragrances
Scented candles with the aroma of winter spices, orange or cinnamon can conjure up images of a cosy family Christmas by the fire. Room sprays or diffusers with spicy fragrances can also add to the ambience and help you to sell that dream lifestyle.
- Rich textures
Fabrics, cushions and throws are a wonderful way of adding splashes of Autumnal colours. Think tartan, wool, opulent velvet, richly coloured fabrics and snuggly textures and use these seasonal props to dress your sofas, chairs and beds.
- Light your fire or woodburner
If you have a fire, light it. As well as creating an appealing woodsmoke smell, the dancing flames of a fire add a warming, soft light that looks wonderful in property photography and for viewings. Studies have shown that a crackling fire promotes relaxation and even helps to reduce blood pressure – perfect for making viewers feel at home.
- Appeal to the imagination
Telling viewers (or asking your agent to tell them) how you use various spaces for entertaining, and so on, will help them to imagine living there themselves.
- Making the most of your garden
Clear the leaves, as piles of fallen leaves can give the impression that your garden is uncared for as well as making it look smaller. Keep your outside space as tidy as possible and perhaps add a few late-flowering plants to brighten it up. If you’ve got a fire pit, don’t forget to point it out as it shows how the garden can be useable outside the Summer months.
Read our blog on tips for a quick sale (link) for more advice on how to present your home to maximise its appeal.
Choose an agent that invests in high quality marketing
How your estate agent promotes and markets your home is critical to a successful sale. There is no point having a beautifully presented home if the photography, brochure and online listing do not do it justice.
With nearly all searches these days starting online, your property needs to stand out, so would-be buyers won’t skip past your listing. You have seconds to make an impression so if the way your agent is presenting your home is below par, then you’ve missed the opportunity. You can check how agents in your area present their properties by checking out their websites and listings on online portals.
Talk to your chosen agent about their property photography. There are so many wonderful colours around this time of year that can look fabulous on external images. A good photographer should be able to work with the way you have presented your home, play on the Autumnal look and bring this out in the images.
At Michael Hardy, we always use the services of experienced property photographers who are trained to find the most flattering angles and produce the type of lifestyle photography that can really entice a buyer.
Price correctly
Someone house hunting this Autumn is likely to want to get the sale underway, if not be in their new home by Christmas. This goes for sellers also. To avoid languishing on the market you need to make sure that your home is priced correctly right from the start.
Have a look at what properties are selling for in this area, in comparison with the asking prices. Online tools can provide you with a certain amount of data or we can give you advice on what homes like yours have recently sold for. Aiming for a realistic figure from the outset is better than having to slash the price further down the line.
Help your sale along
Take pride in your home and keep on top of any DIY and cleaning jobs. By doing this you can be a little more flexible and accommodate last minute viewings. The more viewers you get, the higher chance of a sale. Try to always find ways to accommodate your estate agents request for viewings.
Be prepared to move quickly once you get under offer. Make sure you have a mortgage agreed in principle (if required) for your onward purchase and have a solicitor lined up. Our blog covering how to make sure your sale progresses once SSTC can you give you more advice on how to avoid delays.
If you are keen to get your house on the market this Autumn, call us on Wokingham 0118 977 6776 or Crowthorne 01344 779 999. We would be delighted to provide a no-obligation valuation on your property.
