Does the time of year make a difference when it comes to selling your house? The short answer is yes.
It’s no secret that spring is the busiest time of the year in real estate. The spring market generally spans from March to May and thousands of sales take place in these busy months.
Even though spring could be considered the best time to sell, the fact is, there are many reasons why people buy houses in every season. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to list or buy your home in the spring. Fall is a wonderful time of the year to sell. As the owner of PropertyGuys.com Muskoka and the greater Orillia area, I consider it the second best time of the year to list your property.
Here are the top three reasons why fall is a great time to hit the real estate market.
Summer Is Over
Families have returned from vacations, the kids are back in school, the holiday madness is still months away and, if you live in cottage country, the tourists have gone home for the season. After a great summer, life is slowing down and getting back to normal. Now is the time buyers will start to look for homes again.
Mother Nature Is On Your Side
The vibrant fall scenery will help to frame your property. Homes look their best when staged and, according to the Real Estate Staging Association’s website, staged properties spend less time on the market, and typically sell for more money. There is no better season to stage your home than in the fall. Pinterest is bursting with easy fall decorating ideas, such as inviting front porch arrangements, warm Autumn colours, fall mums, pumpkin carvings, corn husks, bales of hay and beautiful centre pieces.
Sweet Emotions
Experience has taught me that real estate is an emotional industry. When making large purchases such as a home, people first buy with their hearts and then with their heads. They need to picture themselves in a home before justifying their decision to buy it. If a purchaser falls in love with a home, making the decision is that much easier. Fall is an emotional season with the stunning autumn colours, plaid shirts, knitted sweaters, pumpkin pie, hot chocolate, crisp air, football, fuzzy boots, star watching, warm blankets and bonfires. These things promote warmth and make us all want to get cozy at home.
No one knows a home like a homeowner and in cottage country (especially) people are buying a lifestyle. This is one of the reasons you, as a homeowner, are the best person qualified to sell your home. You know the unique features of your property and area and you can sell the intimate experience of what you fell in love with about the home.
There is no secret sales formula when selling. Although it may seem like certain times of the year may give you an advantage, there really is no wrong time of the year to sell your home if you employ a strategy that focuses on the right mix of price, product and exposure and fall certainly provides that beautiful backdrop!
Jason Schlegel, PropertyGuys.com
