Our top tips: preparing your home for an autumn sale
Autumn is the perfect time to embrace the changing of the seasons but it can often be overlooked by prospective sellers when they are considering whether it is the right time to sell their home. These quieter months after the summer holidays have concluded and with routines set in place once again before the excitement of the festive season begins, means that autumn can be an excellent time to sell!
Whether you are still contemplating selling your home or if your property is already on the market, there are plenty of tips you can try to make the most of the autumn season when selling your property.
Kerb Appeal
First impressions can create a lasting memory so it’s important to consider how your property presents from the outside as well as in. Try to visualise your home through fresh eyes and consider where your attention is being drawn. Try to avoid any unnecessary clutter and ensure that any paths, gateways and doorways are free from leaves and wayward plants. Ensuring that viewers can walk unencumbered around all parts of the property leads to fewer distractions and ultimately helps potential buyers visualise your property as their new home.
Autumn Clean
This is a perfect time to have an alternative ‘spring clean’, with the hustle and bustle of the summer months behind us, autumn offers a chance to reset and rejuvenate your living space in preparation for the colder months. Set some time aside to tackle deep cleaning tasks, declutter your home and adapt your décor to create a warm, homely atmosphere and help set the tone for viewings.
A well-organised and well-maintained home can make a strong impression on potential buyers, helping to showcase your property in the best possible light. Consider adding some seasonal touches and earthy colours like cosy blankets, scented candles or autumnal foliage and decorations to provide a warm and homely welcome to potential buyers.
Keeping it Cosy
With the days getting shorter, it’s important to ensure that your property is still well-lit for viewings, but it’s worth bearing in mind that less can sometimes be more. Instead of having every single light on for viewings, which can create an unnatural feeling, try having a few well-placed lamps to help brighten up darker corners. Even the lighting from a cooker hood or under the wall cupboards in a kitchen can create a brighter, yet cosy atmosphere.
It’s also worth considering your home's temperature. If you are home before a viewing, lighting the fire or wood burner before the estate agent arrives can create a welcoming atmosphere and has the added benefit of showing that it’s all in full working order. On colder days setting the timer for the heating to come on an hour before a viewing helps take any chills away and makes a home feel much more warm and inviting. Autumn can be the ideal time to test your central heating and make sure that everything is in full working order before the winter sets in. It may also be worth considering having your system serviced, if it’s due, to avoid any mishaps or longer delays with plumbing and heating contractors.
Highlighting Features
If your home has a fireplace, be sure to showcase it for marketing photographs and during viewings. The idea of cosying up by the fire on a chilly autumn evening can be very appealing to buyers. Even if your fireplace is just a feature, it can be used to create a wonderful focal point in the room by using lighting or decorations.
Kitchens and dining rooms can also be easily highlighted by including seasonal table decorations, changing table cloths or runners and swapping out tea towels to add pops of autumnal colour.
Communicate With Your Agent
You know your property best so we would recommend advising your estate agent of any additional information or improvements that you’ve made to the property during your ownership. It might not always be obvious at first glance if you’ve made improvements to the insulation in your home, installed a new boiler, updated the radiators or updated glazing, but buyers will likely appreciate features that will save them money and keep them comfortable during the colder months.
Make sure you provide information about the community, local events and amenities as well as extra details about the property such as an ideal spot for morning coffee in the kitchen or garden that enjoys the sunshine, or cosy underfloor heating in the bathrooms. This all helps your estate agent paint a picture of the property and engages prospective buyers so they can imagine making your home their own.
Price It Right
Autumn can be a popular time for buyers, so pricing your home strategically can help attract more interest. Your estate agent can provide valuable insights into the local market and can help you determine the best pricing strategy for your home. Pricing your home correctly from the start can help save time and attract serious buyers who are actively looking for their next property to call home, especially those wanting to be settled by the New Year.
Our dedicated, local property experts are here to help get you moving and are always on hand to provide independent property advice, as well as offering free, no-obligation market appraisals. If you’d like to start your property journey this autumn, get in touch with your local office, or book a valuation online.
Whether you are still contemplating selling your home or if your property is already on the market, there are plenty of tips you can try to make the most of the autumn season when selling your property.
Kerb Appeal
First impressions can create a lasting memory so it’s important to consider how your property presents from the outside as well as in. Try to visualise your home through fresh eyes and consider where your attention is being drawn. Try to avoid any unnecessary clutter and ensure that any paths, gateways and doorways are free from leaves and wayward plants. Ensuring that viewers can walk unencumbered around all parts of the property leads to fewer distractions and ultimately helps potential buyers visualise your property as their new home.
Autumn Clean
This is a perfect time to have an alternative ‘spring clean’, with the hustle and bustle of the summer months behind us, autumn offers a chance to reset and rejuvenate your living space in preparation for the colder months. Set some time aside to tackle deep cleaning tasks, declutter your home and adapt your décor to create a warm, homely atmosphere and help set the tone for viewings.
A well-organised and well-maintained home can make a strong impression on potential buyers, helping to showcase your property in the best possible light. Consider adding some seasonal touches and earthy colours like cosy blankets, scented candles or autumnal foliage and decorations to provide a warm and homely welcome to potential buyers.
Keeping it Cosy
With the days getting shorter, it’s important to ensure that your property is still well-lit for viewings, but it’s worth bearing in mind that less can sometimes be more. Instead of having every single light on for viewings, which can create an unnatural feeling, try having a few well-placed lamps to help brighten up darker corners. Even the lighting from a cooker hood or under the wall cupboards in a kitchen can create a brighter, yet cosy atmosphere.
It’s also worth considering your home's temperature. If you are home before a viewing, lighting the fire or wood burner before the estate agent arrives can create a welcoming atmosphere and has the added benefit of showing that it’s all in full working order. On colder days setting the timer for the heating to come on an hour before a viewing helps take any chills away and makes a home feel much more warm and inviting. Autumn can be the ideal time to test your central heating and make sure that everything is in full working order before the winter sets in. It may also be worth considering having your system serviced, if it’s due, to avoid any mishaps or longer delays with plumbing and heating contractors.
Highlighting Features
If your home has a fireplace, be sure to showcase it for marketing photographs and during viewings. The idea of cosying up by the fire on a chilly autumn evening can be very appealing to buyers. Even if your fireplace is just a feature, it can be used to create a wonderful focal point in the room by using lighting or decorations.
Kitchens and dining rooms can also be easily highlighted by including seasonal table decorations, changing table cloths or runners and swapping out tea towels to add pops of autumnal colour.
Communicate With Your Agent
You know your property best so we would recommend advising your estate agent of any additional information or improvements that you’ve made to the property during your ownership. It might not always be obvious at first glance if you’ve made improvements to the insulation in your home, installed a new boiler, updated the radiators or updated glazing, but buyers will likely appreciate features that will save them money and keep them comfortable during the colder months.
Make sure you provide information about the community, local events and amenities as well as extra details about the property such as an ideal spot for morning coffee in the kitchen or garden that enjoys the sunshine, or cosy underfloor heating in the bathrooms. This all helps your estate agent paint a picture of the property and engages prospective buyers so they can imagine making your home their own.
Price It Right
Autumn can be a popular time for buyers, so pricing your home strategically can help attract more interest. Your estate agent can provide valuable insights into the local market and can help you determine the best pricing strategy for your home. Pricing your home correctly from the start can help save time and attract serious buyers who are actively looking for their next property to call home, especially those wanting to be settled by the New Year.
Our dedicated, local property experts are here to help get you moving and are always on hand to provide independent property advice, as well as offering free, no-obligation market appraisals. If you’d like to start your property journey this autumn, get in touch with your local office, or book a valuation online.