Sell Your Home in the Fall? There are Advantages!

Sell your home in the middle of fall? Before the holidays? Sometimes, it really pays to go against the crowd.

You’re probably aware that spring is the season when most people around DFW put their homes on the market. Summer is the high season, and it’s when most homes get sold. YET, there are a few powerful reasons why fall might actually be a better time than either spring or summer to sell your home. It makes perfect sense when you think about it.

By the fall, the bulk of spring listings are expiring. As a result, there is less competition, particularly when you consider the NEW label and the fewer days on the market that your listing will boast. Also, home buyers in the fall are more serious. They have been looking at listings for months, and they are eager to conclude their search and move in comfortably before the holidays if possible, and especially before the new year.

When you consider these things, you will understand that homes listed in the fall sell more quickly and often command a higher price.

Now, if you are thinking of selling your home this fall, there are a few things you have to do differently.

Selling around the holidays is not for the faint of heart. Your real estate professional can give you a few pointers on how to prioritize getting things done efficiently.

First, you have to prepare your home to account for the particular fall conditions.

For example, you need to check the HVAC system and replace your furnace filter so your home will be warm and smell fresh. Nothing is worse than showing a home that is drafty and cold or smells of a stale furnace. Also, make sure to turn on all the lights; you’ve got to compensate for the shorter, cloudier days. Cleaning up the yard is also a must. Be diligent to keep the leaves swept up.

The second thing you need to do is price your home appropriately.

This is where you need guidance from your agent. To get started, give me a call and we can run comps and get a realistic view of what your home should be priced. You MUST know what your home is worth and how you should price it. The fall is not a good time to start with a sky-high price. If you don’t sell right away, you might not have time to adjust the price because of the smaller number of buyers and the shorter selling period (fewer buyers want to move over Christmas). The serious buyers I mentioned earlier might be willing to pay more simply because they’ve been looking longer and are more eager to buy.

It is all a balancing act and something that is best done with the help of a real estate professional who has experience selling in your area. Contact me if you are considering selling this fall, and I’ll give you my recommendations on how to price your home based on current conditions in the vibrant North Dallas, Plano, Frisco, and McKinney markets.