Getting Your Home Ready for a Fall Sale

Ah, fall. My favorite of all. Time for visiting apple orchards, carving jack-o-lanterns, and cozying up by the fireplace with a hot toddy. Everything smells sweet like cinnamon, the food is somehow more delicious, and you finally remember what the seat heaters in your car are there for!

We’re halfway through September, the trees are still green, and the humidity is just as high as ever here in Richmond. (Basically it’s just your typical Virginian summer/autumn transition…) Hurricane season is upon us and the only thing we’ve seen fall around here is a lot of rain. The leaves aren’t falling, but on the bright side, neither is our market! So don’t be discouraged by the soggy weather outside. Instead, take a quick peek at your calendar because it’s finally fall and there’s no time like the present to make your new home dreams come true!

Let’s talk about the fall market…

It’s not uncommon to see the real estate market get slower and slower as the season progresses into fall and winter. The kids go back to school, the adults refocus on work, and essentially, real life takes over again. But the idea that houses don’t sell well in the months past October is outdated information. (Check it out for yourself here on our Richmond Real Estate Trends page.

Perks of Fall Sales

1. Your home looks great in the fall. Use it to your advantage! There is still plenty of light in the early hours of the morning and in the late evening, leaving ample time for pre- and post-work showings. With the changing foliage and golden late summer sun, it’s the perfect time to have the exterior and interior of your house photographed. Even if you’re not ready to list it until winter! Your gorgeous fall photos will attract much more attention than the grey light winter tends to give off.
2. Autumn is a busy time for everybody, meaning that if someone is seriously interested in your house, there’s a good chance it’s a motivated buyer. A buyer has just as much of a reason to buy your house as you do to sell it! Whether it’s to relocate for work, school, downsizing, or upsizing, you can feel safe knowing that if you list your house in fall, you’re just as likely to get an offer close to your asking price as you would during the busy spring and summer months. (You’ll probably be competing with fewer homes on the market too!)
3. Weather is mostly a nonissue for us in RVA during fall. It’s very mild and easy to tolerate all the way until December when winter starts to kick in! And, from mid-September all the way up to late November there are no major holidays or vacations to get in the way of your home sale or purchase.  

Get ready!

Fall is the season of change, so change your home to make it feel more welcoming for the time of year. Especially when you’re trying to draw in interest from potential buyers! Here are a couple of pointers to keep your curb appeal strong:

Outdoor maintenance is super, super important during fall. And if your house or neighborhood has a lot of trees, that could mean a lot of raking for you! It may seem tedious, but keeping your lawn clean, driveway/walkway swept, and porch clear makes a major impact on a buyer! It shows how much you care about your house and how well you’ve taken care of it. Also, keeping your gutters clean earns you major points. Okay, not literal points… But it’s still a good homeowner practice to get into.

Play into the seasons, have a little fun with it! Begin with a simple wreath on your front door, maybe a few cute little pumpkins by your stoop, just to see how you like it. If it looks natural, great! If not, that’s okay too! Your décor should be natural and should stay true to you, like an extension of your personality. If you’re not a person who uses a lot of decoration there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! I would say the most important thing when selling your house is to make sure it’s clean no matter what your style.

Happy fall!!