Summer is a great time to invest in outdoor upgrades and indoor options that make your home appealing to buyers. After months indoors, homebuyers respond quickly to outdoor amenities when scoping out homes to buy. Creating outdoor living areas and highlighting outdoor views give potential new owners the impression of both expanded space and bright, fresh access to nature.
Establish an inviting entry
Make sure your entry is bright and enticing. Set flowerpots to either side of the entryway. Make sure the door itself is clean of fingerprints and grime, or freshly painted a cheery color. Provide a doormat so guests do not track debris into your home.
Bring the outdoors in
In the winter, homeowners often cover windows with heavy drapes to keep out the chill air and drafts. When showing your home in the summer, remove heavy draperies so potential buyers can clearly see the outdoor views. Clean off fingerprints and smudges from windows and window frames and dust vertical or horizontal blinds and set them to allow both light and views.
Add colorful summer-weight throw cushions to living areas and beds, and add flowers to both your bed and bath areas. A bowl of bright seasonal fruits completes a summery look to your kitchen table.
Store away quilts and afghans. Clean ashes from your fireplace and clean the soot from fireplace glass to remove the last vestiges of winter. Set a floral arrangement or plant on the hearth. Use light, fresh scented beads or reed diffusers instead of candles. Use the same scent throughout the house to avoid competing odors.
Keep your home cool but not cold. If you have air-conditioning, make sure to set it to cool your home in plenty of time before your potential buyers arrive. If you use fans to move your home’s air, make sure they are dust free and running quietly. Be sure attic fans and other cooling devices operate correctly.
Extend the living area
Showing your home in the summer means potential buyers will check out the outdoors much more thoroughly than in the winter months. Set up seating areas, hammocks, picnic tables, or other patio furnishings to display the full range of your property. Add planters and box gardens with bright, colorful flowers. Keep the lawn and landscaping trimmed and neat. Take care of pests like wasps and ants that might scare a potential buyer away. Take care to trim bushes away from windows and doorways.
Make sure the exterior of the house is clean and fresh. Clean mold off vinyl siding and moss off brick and stone exteriors. Clear gutters and downspouts and make sure they attach to the structure correctly. Wash windows and screens, and touch up paint on doors, window frames, and trim.
Make sure to organize tools, hoses, and other yard and garden clutter. Protect visitors to your home from tripping over lawn toys or the garden hoe. Remember that buyers want to check out every nook and cranny, so keep garden sheds and storage areas accessible and organized.
Summer buyers want to know they can use the entire property for their own summer fun. If you need more suggestions on how to prepare your property for a summer sale, contact us today.
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