By Nancy Russell, Vice President CBRB
Wow, what happened? It seems like Memorial Day was just a few weeks ago and I was just watching the Fourth of July fireworks. However, the stores are filled with parents getting their children ready for the start of the school year, and Halloween decorations are out in some stores. The summer has come and gone!
Officially, autumn is considered to start with the September equinox, this year it will be September 22. However, in my mind, the fall real estate market begins the day after Labor Day. As I think about strategies to sell your home, these are the facts that we should consider:
Worcester County
|
Q2 2012
|
1-Year Change
|
|
| Average Sales Price |
$247,956
|
-3.3%
|
| Closed Sales |
1,717
|
+28.8%
|
| Months of Supply |
8.7
|
-31.0%
|
| Days on Market |
118
|
-8.7%
|
The above information is provided by MLS and provides a current market assessment.? While the average sales price is down over a year, there are some promising signs with the above data and other MLS-supplied information. With the best Q2 numbers in years, it's time to think about an approach to sell your home fast and before the New England winter arrives.
Fall conjures up the idea of “warm and cozy” to home buyers. People want to have the sense that their home is their sanctuary as the nights get longer and the days turn colder.? If you have a fire place make sure you have a chimney sweep it out to clear all the ash, soot and creosote that has build up. Also, let the light in. Give your windows a good internal and external cleaning. You will be surprised what a difference it makes on how much light is coming into your home. When your home is being shown to prospective buyers, open the curtains and blinds and have a fire lit in the fireplace! An alternative to a fire is to place an attractive candelabrum or candle arrangement that provides that sense of “warm and cozy.”
Curb appeal is always important, but in the fall it is critically important. We are blessed here in New England with beautiful native flowers that bloom between August and October. Make sure you pull out and remove your spring annual flowers. Provide a new bed of mulch and plant a variety of late summer/fall blooming florae that will make your yard pop. I would include a mix of New England aster, sneezweed, willow-leaved sunflower, and blue sage. These provide bright and vibrant colors which are very pleasing to the eye.
And finally, weather can turn on a dime. Leaves go from a delightful crimson and gold to a not-so-aesthetic brown and decaying. As the leaves begin to fall rake them up to show off your green, healthy lawn that you just fertilized. A potential buyer will be turned off by a leaf-covered yard.
Another sure and true way to get home buyers” attention is to decorate outside for the season. Adding a fall wreath that might include sunflowers or berries and decorative fall leaves can be very appealing. Welcome autumn and guests with pumpkins, cornstalks, or a bale of straw. Nothing is more inviting and instills that idea of “warm and cozy.” And my favorite idea is to add low-voltage lighting to provide accents around your walkways and gardens.
I have many more strategies and ideas that are sure to sell your home this fall!
Whatever Nancy touches turns to SOLD.” Call me at 508-243-8128 or by e-mail [email protected]. Visit my website, www.nancyarussell.com, for more information, or stop by the office located at 2 Maple Ave. in Shrewsbury.
