6 Reasons to List Your Home in the Fall

Many people will tell you that spring and summer are the very best times to sell a home. However, if you are debating whether to squeeze in at the end of summer or go with the fall, there are a few reasons why selling a home in the fall may actually be easier.

Cut Down on the Competition

Spring and summer are the times of year when there is a glut of home buyers but also an overabundance of sellers. Buyers know that that is the best time for inventory, so they can pick and choose however they like. Many experts claim that this can be a boon for sellers, unless they live in an area where the inventory outstrips demand. A buyer’s market may lead to a seasonal decrease in home prices, which is not something you want to encounter unless your home is the best among them. By selling in the fall, you cut down on the number of homes you have to compete with.

Enjoy Better Access to Services

Spring, summer and early fall are the peak busy seasons for a lot of industries, especially those that are tied to the construction and home industries. If you try to get your home ready to sell in the late summer, you may find a severe backlog in access to cleaning, landscaping or construction services. It might even take a lot of research to find a home inspector or appraiser who is available to look at your home, if you want to do this before you list the property. By waiting until the fall, you get past the scheduling crunch for these services and can set a time that works best for you.

Avoid Rushing to Prepare

A lot of people tend to work more efficiently when they know there is a deadline looming, but there is such a thing as too little time to get ready. A few weeks might make the difference between a home that is staged to sell and one that fits buyers’ definition of a “fixer-upper.” By delaying listing by a month or two, you give yourself the time to think about what you need to do and get it done in style. This is especially important if you plan some upgrades to your home that will take weeks to complete, or if you require professional services that you cannot dictate on your own schedule.

Find Motivated Buyers

Spring and early summer is such a popular time to buy a home that a lot of buyers come into the summer market without a deadline they want to keep. They may float from home to home, looking possibly at dozens before they make an offer. They know that they can do this and likely still find a home, close on it and move before the cool weather comes in and the kids are back in school. Buyers in fall, by comparison, know that there are fewer homes on the market, and that they are running against the waning temperatures and daylight. Experts claim that fall home buyers tend to be more focused and ready to close a home more quickly, especially those who started their search during the summer.

Take Advantage of the Mild Weather

Selling a home at the peak of the summer heat or the middle of winter’s chill requires you to walk a very careful line with your heating and cooling equipment. You do not want the home to seem overly stuffy or unnecessarily drafty, and these are subjective assessments that may vary a lot between buyers. The fall, particularly on the earlier side, has nicely mild weather with crisp mornings, moderate days and a decent amount of remaining daylight in the evenings. You can hedge this to your advantage by keeping your thermostat at a reasonable level and maximizing natural daylight coming in to the home at various times during the day.

Use the Changing Colors in Your Staging Scheme

Winter requires careful planning so that the landscape does not simply appear dead or dying, but fall curb appeal has a lot of potential for life. Plant local flora that grows late into the fall, especially ones with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Set out pumpkins and cornstalks, but try to avoid making it seem too kitschy. You can maximize the cozy feeling of the season and make buyers feel more comfortable giving your home a try.

A lot of people prefer to sell their homes during the summer, but that does not mean that fall has no benefits. With these advantages, you can place your home in a better position to sell more quickly to the right buyer.