Happy *almost* fall, everyone! As football season begins, the leaves on the trees start changing colors, and the warm soup starts pouring, we still have one thing on our mind…SELLING YOUR HOME IN THE FALL! Springtime may be the most popular season to put a house up on the market, but fall is a great time of year to sell your home as well.

Here are 6 tips when selling in the fall:

1. Price to sell. There will likely be fewer homes on the market during this time of year, meaning if your house is well-positioned, it will sell fast if you draw in the right buyer.

2. Clean up outside. Be sure to clean up and discard any fallen leaves or dead flowers from your yard. This is an ongoing process, but it must be done, because buyers still want to be able to see your lawn and if it is completely covered with leaves this will not be possible. Don’t forget to keep the gutters clean as well.

3. Let there be light. Make sure your walkways and any exterior entertainment areas are well lit, because the days are shorter and so is the natural light and often times when buyers want to take a look it will have already have become dark outside.

4. Keep the cold out. As we move toward colder weather, be sure to check for drafts through window seals and doors. Insulate where needed to keep buyers warm during showings.

5. Change your filter. Fall is no fun for allergy sufferers! Change your HVAC filters to reduce odors and fall allergens.

6. Decorate tastefully. You don’t have to go overboard with Halloween or Thanksgiving decor but staging a few items can help a buyer envision themselves in your home during the holiday season. Cobwebs don’t count as Halloween decorations and you don’t want to scare away a buyer with gory decor either! 

Some people assume that a house must be priced lower in off-seasons like fall and winter to actually sell, but this is not necessarily true. A home needs to be priced to compete in the current market, whatever that happens to be at the time.