Early fall is the best time to…
Many of my clients are asking me if this is a good time to list their homes. The answer is an unqualified YES. In my experience, the buyers who look in the fall are the more serious buyers. They’re not the “lookie-loos” that come out of their homes in the spring looking for some diversion or entertainment (or decorating ideas), but are the more serious buyers.
Right now, if you’re thinking of selling, take a good look at your house. Spring cleaning seems like it happened a very long time ago, don’t you think? It’s time right now to freshen things up in preparation for the long winter months and the fall selling season or the early spring selling season when it will be difficult to impossible to do exterior work. Many people don’t consider that in advance.
If I can give you any advice that you might actually take, I would say to try and make sure that your house is in selling shape all the time. That way if you find a house that you like, or you simply need to sell in a hurry, you won’t need to scramble to get things done. This is a mantra I try to live by, but admittedly it isn’t always so. Right now I am taking my own advice and sprucing things up while the weather is good and the contractors are available and looking for work. Look at it this way – if you are going to sell, today’s buyers can be ruthless. Why, you ask? Because they can. The emotions of buying are less evident when you’re in a buyer’s market. If your house doesn’t show well, and the buyer feels that you have deferred maintenance, they will go for the jugular. So my point is, if you’re going to have to do the work anyway when you sell, why not do it now and enjoy it? If I had a dollar for every time a client said that their house never looked and felt better as when they were selling… So, if you can, do it now and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
On the exterior, do any touch up painting that’s needed so that your wood shingles or siding doesn’t get damaged or further compromised in the winter months to come.
Check the insulation on your windows and doors, and on your dryer and bathroom vents. Lots of money is lost through small vent openings from high fuel bills, not to mention the possibility of rodents making their way inside your house.
Service your oil furnace or boiler now. Don’t wait until the winter months kick in when everyone else in town is doing it.
Have your fireplaces and chimney flues inspected before you light your first fire of the season. If they need to be cleaned or relined, do it now. This is important both from a selling perspective and a safety standpoint.
Clean your gutters now before the trees really start to lose their leaves and pine needles. This will help prevent back-up and potential water problems in your basement or crawl space and it will protect your foundation.
Consider having your trees inspected by a qualified tree person. Especially after that huge storm that we had in March, this is a must. This could save your house, electric lines and your yard. If you feel that a branch is near your electric lines, call the power company and they will take a look at it for you.
If you need a dehumidifier, put one in your basement. I can smell mold and mildew a mile away, and so can your guests and buyers.
Re-mulch if you need to. However I will say that unless you’re about to list your house, I would skip this step until the spring, but a top coat of mulch always looks great if you’re selling your home.
Check your roof and attic insulation. You’ll thank me in January or when your home gets inspected. The new spray type of insulation is great – it breathes well, it does not invite mold and it insulates beautifully. Inspectors love it. If you have old fiberglass insulation, consider removing it and replacing it with the spray insulation.
Re-seed and aerate your lawn in September. The early fall is the best time to seed. And, plant those tulips and daffodils if you want that burst of color in the spring. Fertilize your bushes where needed and protect those plants that might get damaged by heavy snow.
Check your driveway for potholes and your railings for stability. Once the first frost comes you will not be able to repave or fill those holes. Fix any loose brick or flagstones on your walkway. The last thing you need is a buyer or their broker tripping and falling and well, you know.
Replenish your planters. I was at Costco last week, and as always, they have the most beautiful (and cheap!) mums around. Toss the old and burnt flowers now.
Check your outdoor lighting. Clean the fixtures and replace any dead lightbulbs. Put in brighter bulbs than normal. Your house will be shown at night.
Powerwash and repaint or treat your wood fence to protect it from the elements. Do the same with your decking.
Check your pipes and connections. Do they need to be insulated? Anything leaking? Call a plumber and have him take a look. Do whatever you need to do now to prevent a burst pipe in the winter.
You can wait to paint the interior rooms unless you’re listing right away – but do the exterior things now.
And by now you know how I feel about clutter. This to me is the king of deferred maintenance. If you haven’t needed that stored item in the last 12 months, toss it. Be ruthless. My lowest moving point was when we bought our last house sort of unexpectedly. There was WAY too much going on so we didn’t have a chance to sort out and throw out so we moved our junk. Not only was it costly from a moving standpoint, but it was years before we actually went through those boxes. Big mistake.
If you need any names for any of these recommended projects – contact me. And if you’re ready to sell your house and want to know what it’s worth now, I’d be happy to take a look and give you an opinion of price. And trust me, I’m great with check lists and can help you organize the necessary work if you’re going to be selling. I do love my lists.
