Reviewed by: Sharron Swain
3 things to know before selling your home this summer
Reading time: 4 minutes
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Summer can be a great time to sell your home. The weather is warming up, schools are out, and families are ready to get settled into their new home before another school year rolls around. We talked to some of the rock star agents at Ray & Poynor about sprucing up your home and getting it ready to hit the market this summer. Here’s what they said.
1. Evaluate your home and yard
When it comes to getting your home ready to sell, knowing where to start can be hard. Kathryn Dorlon recommends starting with the basics.
“Walk the property with the seller and make notes of items that you see could be improved. This may be as big as new sod or as small as fresh pine straw in the yard. Inside, it may need fresh paint or just a simple decluttering.”
Kathryn Dorlon
Doing all that you can on the front end enables a smoother transaction for all parties.
‘Something that a lot of sellers might not think to do is to have a home inspection completed before listing their home. This allows the seller to know of any issues with their home on the front end with the potential to fix these issues prior to listing the home.”
Mary Ansley Smalley
Want to list or find your new home? Reach out to Ray & Poynor today.
2. Curb appeal
Curb appeal is so important, and the spring and summer blooms make it so much easier to accomplish.
“Pretty plants inside and outside can really add to a listing. My advice is to have varying colors, textures and heights when purchasing plants to get your home market ready. This also helps create interest in the listing photography. For inside the home, I would choose a few green ferns, something tall such as an orchid, and then whatever colorful, seasonal indoor plants your local plant shop has available.”
Mary Ansley Smalley
Occasionally, all a home needs is a plant or fresh flowers. When that’s the case, running to a local plant shop (Shoppe and Leaf & Petal are a couple of our favorites) and grabbing something like a topiary will do the trick. Same thing goes for the inside—a bowl of apples, a vase of flowers or new accent pillows will add a pop of color and create a fresh feeling in your space.
Sometimes, a little more work is required to give your home that ‘wow’ factor. Here are a few tips from Lucia Tabb for when that’s the case:
- Be sure lawn is manicured and outdoor landscaping is fresh and updated.
- If exterior is looking dingy, consider touching up exterior paint including trim and windows.
- Pressure wash driveway and other hardscape areas.
- Clean windows on outside and inside.
- Freshen up outdoor living spaces and be sure to highlight entertaining or conversational areas that buyers could enjoy.
3. Keep it clean
This is one of the easiest—and most important—ways to make sure your home is show-ready.
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness! This is not only true for the interior but the exterior. Every square inch will show better if you have taken the time to clean it. Not only for the pictures, but also for every showing. Don’t leave your used towel on the floor on the way out the door or those dishes in the sink. You never know when you’ll have a last-minute request to have a showing. I like to say to the client, ‘Think of a magazine shot of your home each day until we have your home sold.'”
Kathryn Dorlon
It doesn’t stop there… with cleaning, comes decluttering. This means getting rid of or storing all of those unnecessary in your home, like old furniture and clothes.
“You don’t need your winter coats taking up space in the closet if you are listing in the summer. Go ahead and pack those items away. It will show the space you have available in the home better. Large plastic containers are a great way to store unused items.”
Whether you’re looking to sell your home or find your dream home, the expert agents at Ray & Poynor are ready to help. Reach out through their website, Instagram, Facebook or call them at 205.879.3036 today.
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