Summer is a great time
of year to sell your home. With bright, sunny days, gardens at their greenest
and flowers blooming, your marketing photos will look fabulous!
More daylight hours
and generally better weather than at other times of year give people much more
opportunity to view your home at its best and brightest. And there’s nothing
like a sunny day to put people in a great mood, which means they’re more likely
to have a positive mindset when they’re viewing.
So, how can you best
take advantage of the benefits of selling during the summer?
Photographs
The marketing
photographs in your brochure and online advertising play a huge part in
enticing buyers to view your home. Importantly, they’ve got to be in line with
the season, so if your home’s already on the market and the photos were taken
earlier in the year, we’d suggest you replace them with some up-to-date ones.
Have the interior
photographed when there’s maximum daylight outside so the sun streams in
through the windows, really boosting the natural brightness of your rooms. And
if you’ve got a patio, balcony or terrace, open the doors and have a shot taken
looking either inwards or outwards – it can create a really captivating image,
with a hint of ‘summer holiday villa’, which could be hugely appealing to many
buyers.
Two great times to
have exterior shots taken in the summer:
- In the middle of the day, in
bright sunshine. If you’ve got a good-sized garden, a shot from the end –
front or back – looking towards your home and taking in the lush colours
of the trees, flowers and shrubs can look beautiful. - On a clear evening, around
sunset. A mid-length shot of the front or back against the twilight sky,
with exterior and interior lights on, can be quite stunning.
Styling your interior
for summer vibes
The styling of your
home is important at any time of year to help buyers imagine themselves living
there, and it should resonate with the season. To give your home that summer
vibe:
- Pack away any dark, heavy
throws and blankets and replace them with lighter fabrics - Floral cushions bring a summer
vibe to any room - White bed linen will help make
bedrooms feel bright and fresh - Scented candles are a great
aspirational and welcoming accessory all year round, so choose some light,
floral scents for bedrooms and living areas - Any aroma that reminds people
of being on holiday, such as coconut, can boost their positive mood even
further! You could have some fresh coconut cake in the kitchen or a
coconut diffuser in the bathroom.
Of course, the glass
surfaces in your home should be gleaming whatever time of year you’re selling,
but it’s even more important that they sparkle in the summer light. It might be
worth having the windows and glazed doors professionally cleaned inside and
outside before you put your home on the market and perhaps periodically until
you secure a buyer.
Indoor/outdoor living
is becoming increasingly popular, so fling open your sparkling doors and
windows before people arrive to view, and have plenty of plants and flowers
around your home – particularly near doorways – to help the flow of greenery
from inside to outside.
Showing your garden at
its blooming best
Many gardens are at
their finest during the summer, but it’s the time of year when everything is
growing quickly, meaning it takes a little more effort to keep everything
looking fabulous. Some of our clients choose to get extra help from a gardening
services company while their home’s on the market – so why not consider doing
the same? It’s one less job for you to do, and you can be confident your garden
will always make the best possible impression on buyers. Here’s one we’d
recommend: https://www.facebook.com/daleandmichelle.lancett
Styling is just as
important for the outside of your home as the inside, so think about things you
could do to show off how you enjoy the garden. If you already have garden
furniture, great; if you don’t, then it might be beneficial to buy a
reasonably-priced table and some chairs, as that can really help set the
‘lifestyle’ scene outside when people come to view. Put a vase of flowers on
the table and lay out some refreshments – even if that’s just a big jug of freshly-made
lemonade and some glasses. The garden will look even more welcoming and
inviting, which will encourage people to stay longer to appreciate everything
your home has to offer.
Families on the move
For growing families,
being cooped up together indoors over the winter months often makes them
realise it might be time to upsize! And with school-age children on holiday,
summer is a popular time for families to look for a new home, as they can all
view together, find something everyone loves and then move in early autumn
without disrupting the middle of the academic year.
So, while demand tends
to be strong across all types of home in the summer, we usually find the
‘family home’ market is particularly busy – especially for those homes that
have generous gardens. As children get older, many families really appreciate
having extra space outside, so summer is the perfect time of year to sell homes
with large lawns, where viewers can watch their young ones safely running about
and enjoying the space.
And with high demand
comes buoyant prices, which means you may be able to get more for your home
than if you try to sell in the winter months.
Would an open house
suit you?
Summer is also a great
time of year to have an open house, where different buyers can view at the same
time over a period of a few hours. In nice weather, buyers can spread out
through your home and garden, take their time to view – and, as long as it’s
dry underfoot, you don’t need to worry too much about your carpets getting
dirty! While it might not be the right strategy for every home, for some it can
be very successful in creating a buzz and encouraging great offers, so speak to
your agent about whether it could work for you.
Moving in the autumn
Once your summer
marketing has led to a successful sale and you’ve found a new home that you
love, you can start planning the next exciting step. Moving in the autumn has
its benefits, as it won’t be too hot or too cold when you’re shifting all your
furniture and possessions in and out of buildings and vans – which removals
companies certainly appreciate!
And here’s a valuable
tip if you’re using a removals company: contact them as early as possible, even
if you don’t have a firm moving date yet and particularly if you’d like to move
on a Friday, as that’s the most popular day. They can come and do their survey
of what needs moving, give you a quote and you have the opportunity to
negotiate the best possible price. We’d suggest you contact Andy from
Move It Removals, as they’ve got a great reputation locally – their website
is https://moveit-removals.com/
While some people find
moving house one of life’s more stressful events, doing it in the autumn means
you’re nicely positioned between the rush of the summer and Christmas holidays,
so you should have some breathing space – and you’ve got the festive season to
look forward to!
So, if you’ve been
thinking of selling this summer, or perhaps you’re already on the market and
are looking for a new approach to secure a buyer in time for an autumn move,
we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call on 03338 802 602 or
email mailto:enquire@three2six.co.uk?subject=Value%20My%20Home%20For%20An%20Autumn%20Move
and we can get things moving right away to ensure you take full advantage of
the summer buzz!
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