By Vicki Trapp, AHWD, ASP, CRS, GRI, SRES, SRS, President
Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS®
Selling your home can be no easy feat, especially during the hot summer months. However, there are a number of reasons that this summer could be the best time to put your house on the market.
According to the National Association of Realtors®, fifty percent of homes are sold during the summer months. In summer, the frenzy of the spring buying season has ended, so you may have fewer houses to compete with for buyers. Also, potential buyers will have received their tax refund checks by summer and that may be just what they need to pull together a downpayment. Selling in summer also gives families time to settle in before school starts. All of these reasons make summer a perfect time to market your home for sale.
Here are a few tips to make sure your house is sold for the best price and in plenty of time for fall:
- Air Conditioning. During the summer, your house can become hot and stuffy. Keep the air conditioning at a reasonable temperature; not so cold that buyers will be searching for their jackets, but cool enough that they won’t want to go back into the heat outside.
- Summer Plans. Plan your annual vacation in advance so that you can list your home accordingly. Timing is everything when it comes to selling a home, so make sure that when offers start coming in that you aren’t out of town.
- Landscaping. Your front yard is the first thing people notice about your house, so make sure your lawn and flower beds aren't suffering in the summer heat. Keep the grass trimmed by mowing often, plant fresh flowers and remove any debris from the lawn. Also, clean your deck, porch, patio or outdoor kitchen and repaint or make any necessary repairs. This is your outdoor space's chance to shine, so keep it in top condition all season.
- Provide Refreshments. Make sure to greet potential buyers the way you would guests and provide drinks or snacks. During the hot summer days, bring out a cold pitcher of lemonade or a cooler full of bottled water for the buyers. Set out some fruit or other light snacks that are seasonally appropriate. Anything you can do to make visitors linger a little longer could help you sell quicker.
- Work with a Realtor®. Finally, [abbreviation of your board/association] reminds sellers that all real estate is local, so it’s important to work with a Realtor® who is familiar with your community. These professionals know the pricing strategies, buyer preferences and marketing approaches that will achieve the best results in your area.
Keeping these tips in mind will help you increase your chances of quickly finding the right buyer for your home this summer.
As we approach the July 4th celebrations, I am reminded of an excerpt from a 1978 article written by William D. North, former Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the National Association of REALTORS®, about REALTOR® Code of Ethics. North wrote, “The Code is an unusual Gift of Vision: the vision of those who dreamed that the business of real estate could become a profession, the vision of those who believed that the search for the highest and best use of the land required the highest and best measures of professional responsibility, and the vision of those who recognized private ownership of the land as indispensable to political democracy and a few and prosperous citizenry.”
As you reflect on your own freedoms, including the right to own property, I encourage you to reflect on and give thanks to those who have fought and currently fight for those freedoms on behalf of all Americans.