Even though it felt like summer this past weekend, the season is changing and so should your approach to selling your Chicago home. You don’t need to totally revamp your listing strategy, but there are a few simple modifications you can make that will increase your property’s salability.
- Take new pictures
Photos are a major selling factor when it comes to Chicago real estate. Not only should you have professionally taken photographs, but you should get them updated with every change of the season so it doesn’t look like your property has been sitting on the market for months and months and months. Most of the time this just requires a new exterior photo that reflects the current time of year. - It gets dark earlier, so turn on the lights!
Shorter days lead to darker rooms and dark spaces do not sell as well as bright, light-filled spaces. For evening showings, compensate for the lack of sunlight with plenty of artificial lighting. Make sure you don’t have any burnt out bulbs and add extra lamps to rooms with dim overhead light fixtures. You might even want to repaint dark colored rooms with lighter hues to help brighten the space. - Don’t neglect the yard work
With fall comes a lot of falling leaves. If you have a property with outdoor space, always rake or sweep the exterior grounds to present a clean, well-kept appearance for every showing. Cut down dead and dried up flowers from your spring plantings. Keep walkways and driveways free of debris and trim up the shrubs to get them in good shape for the winter. - Build a fire in the fireplace
The fireplace is a great selling point in your home and there’s no better time of year to draw attention to this wonderful feature than when the temps start falling outside. Have a fire going when potential buyers walk into the property and they’ll really warm up to the idea of living there. - Go easy on the holiday decorations
It is fun to celebrate the seasons with holiday cheer, but don’t go overboard when trying to sell a home. Halloween cobwebs, creepy crawly spiders and cackling witches can unintentionally turn your prime property into a haunted house. Stick to minimal harvest decorations, such as an autumn wreath on the front door, to keep the home looking festive without the fear factor.
Take these five easy-to-implement ideas into consideration and talk to your listing agent about other pointers to help sell your home quicker this fall. Just started thinking about putting your home on the market? Click here to find an expert Chicago real estate agent to guide you through the process.
