Schools Out For Summer – It’s Time to Buy and Sell

Summer is such a great time of year – family vacations, picnics, boating, grilling, and lightning bugs.  Summer is also a unique time in the real estate market, and whether you’re selling or buying, there are specific considerations to keep in mind.  Let’s dive into some summer real estate tips:

Selling a Home in Summer:

Curb Appeal Matters: First impressions count – ALWAYS! You only get one chance to make a first impression; maximize that chance.

Regularly mow the lawn, weed the garden, prune bushes, and sweep the porch. Clear away cobwebs, replace burned-out exterior lights, and maintain your mailbox. Store trash cans out of sight and freshen mulch in gardens as needed.

Highlight Outdoor Living Space: Buyer’s love imagining themselves outdoors and summer is the best time to showcase how the space can be used. Porches – front or back, gazebo, pool, hot tub, firepit, cornhole, badminton, ping-pong table…prize roses. SHOWCASE WHAT YOU HAVE!   

Showcase your backyard with a grill, patio furniture, umbrella, lounge chairs, fire pit, and a well-kept lawn. If you’ve set up an outdoor movie night, leave it up to demonstrate potential entertaining spaces.

Buying a Home in Summer:

Timing Matters:  Not only is the weather more cooperative during the summer months, just as buyers are looking to get into a new home between school years, the same goes for sellers.  I call it the summer shuffle – the number of listings typically rise with the outside temperature.

Be Patient: While it’s not a scorching hot seller’s market, it’s also not a buyer’s bonanza. Be ready to pounce if you find the right house at the right price.  Make sure that you are ready for your best offer – getting your financing dialed in BEFORE you find THE ONE!  Having that pre-approval in hand adds so much strength to your offer; especially if you get into a multi-offer situation.