#whywesellcolorado
The Trick or Treat of Selling your home in the Fall (or is it Autumn)
Wouldn’t it be great if the New Year would officially start in September? Who’s even awake in January? Fall is the first day of school, fresh notebooks, new clothes and hot cider. The season is changing; we are already beginning to see the leaves take on their new look. Autumn colors in Colorado are some of the best. Fall in Colorado provides a lot of great adventures suited to the whole family. It is also why autumn is the second-best season, besides spring to sell a home. With the children back in school and everyone settling into traditional school-year routines, potential buyers and sellers are stepping back into the house-hunting arena. Home buyers are ready and willing to look while enjoying Colorado’s incredible fall foliage.
The market doesn’t suddenly dry up and disappear in September! People who genuinely need to move are still going to buy a home. As for “hiding” days on market – yeah, that really doesn’t work. Any good buyers agent will look at the history on MLS to see how many times a home has been on and off the market.
Most of us can all agree that the market started shifting early last year and has continued since. For example, in 2013 in Evergreen and Conifer area there were 72 homes sold during the month of September.
Some sellers who have had their homes on the market for a while may think it’s time to pull up the “for sale” sign and wait for the spring flood of buying activity. Not so fast. This is still a great time to sell your home. In fact, it can be a unique opportunity unlike the rest of the year.
Inventory is still low, which has created a competitive atmosphere for homebuyers. Inventory tends to go down even further during the fall/winter season because many sellers put their listings on hold or postpone their decision to sell until spring.
Here’s the good news, if you are thinking of listing your home now. You’re playing with a strong hand. There may be fewer buyers than in the spring, but the ones that are left tend to be more serious and motivated. They aren’t just out there window shopping; they want –and sometimes need- to buy a house, and chances are they want to wrap up the deal by the end of the year.
According to the National Association of Realtors, fall is often a first time home buyers market, since they aren’t motivated by school start deadlines. You may also see move up buyers who don’t want to spend another winter in their small home.
If you’re one of those sellers who want to take advantage of this special time of year, there are a few things you should know to make the most of it.
- List as early in September as you can, once the Thanksgiving season rolls around many will take a break from looking for a home.
- Make sure your walkway is free of leaves and debris.
- Keep the house cozy, nobody likes to enter a cold home.
- Attract the home buyer naturally. Don’t overdo on the decorations. You want it warm and festive, but not over the top.
- Reduce the clutter. Not too many personal items. Pumpkins are nice and so are scarecrows, but we don’t want to scare our buyers away.
- Since it will be getting darker sooner, make sure all the lights are on.
- Lure them in with warm scents of fall. Hot apple cider on the stove is always a show stopper.
- After multiple viewings, a thoughtful treat of candy corn can help them remember yours above the others.
The real trick or treat of selling your home is making it available. These buyers are devoting special time to look. They are using their vacation time or traveling just to look for their new home. They often come to town without the kids, so they can focus on finding the right home. Buyers may also be looking for the end-of-the-year tax advantages. Depending on the loan, closing costs could be claimed as a tax deduction. Corporations transferring their employees also like to get the deal done before the first of the year.
So let the fall buying, selling season begin! Contact me at 720-314-8462 or send an e-mail to Sandy@JonesTeamColorado.com to receive a market analysis of your home and let’s get your home sold fast.
Jones Team Colorado 