How to Stage Your Home To Sell In The Fall

How should you stage your home to sell in the fall? Fall is actually a fairly busy time for home sales, kind of the last hurrah before winter hibernation begins in the Midwest. Recently, home inventory has been low and it is even lower in the fall. You will have less competition, and more serious buyers in the fall market. The cooler weather tends to make people want a “comfy/cozy” feel in a home. Try these tips to stage your home to sell in the fall.

  • Make sure the leaves are raked up. Curb appeal is the first impression buyers have of your home. Keep the leaves off the lawn and out of the gutters. Keep your trees, bushes, and other landscaping trimmed. Get rid of the spider webs on the house. They make excellent Halloween decorations but are a real turn off for buyers.
  • Days are getting shorter, which means more darkness. Have all the windows in your home washed inside and out. Remove all the screens. Screens block out a lot of the natural light. Clean, screen free windows automatically brighten up a home.
  • Turn on the lights, inside and out. Even for daytime showings, turn on all the lights and lamps. Leave outside lights on for any showings that may be at dusk or later so the buyers can see, and it gives your home a welcoming appearance. Make sure all the light bulbs are working. Lights with burned out bulbs give buyers the impression that you don’t maintain your home very well.
  • Decorate with restraint. Leave the Halloween decorations in storage but put out a warming display of mums or marigolds, perhaps a straw bale, pumpkins, and/or squash. The decorations should be neutral and inviting.
  • Your home should be rid of clutter by the time it goes on the market. In the kitchen or on the table, place a nice bowl of apples. If you are comfortable doing it, turn on gas fireplaces to create a cozy feeling. Tossing a nice throw, or quilt over the back of the couch, also gives off a comforting look. Try simmering a small pot of apple cider with a cinnamon stick on the stove to put a bit of cinnamon spice in the air. Always go light on scent because you don’t want to overwhelm buyers or to make them think you are covering something up.

It’s not hard to stage your home to sell in the fall. Just remember to keep it simple, neutral, and leave out the spooky Halloween decorations.

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