The spring may be the busiest months for the housing market but listing your home in the fall can be just as favourable. The opportunities listing in the fall brings are far too often underrated, for fall is the second busiest time of the year for real estate agents. This means choosing to list your home in the fall has some serious perks. 

Here are 4 reasons fall is a great time to list your home with additional tips and tricks to ensure your home is ready to hit the market. 

1. Serious Buyers

The pool of buyers in mid spring and summer may be higher but that means the number of homes on the market are too. When buyers have more homes to choose from they can afford to be picky. When buyers become picky, their search for a home tends to take longer. Come the fall, serious buyers will begin to feel the pressure of both the holidays and cooler weather. This is where the fall market becomes advantageous for sellers.

Just remember buyers who are picky may feel the pressure of the holiday season but they still expect the homes they view to be well-kept. Ensure your home is ready, by upping the curb appeal. Small steps can be taken, such as raking the leaves and cleaning the eavestroughs, to ensure your ready when the buyers are.

2. Less Competition 

The holiday season isn’t the only stress home buyers are dealing with; their options are shrinking the closer they get to the winter months which means your home is far more likely to make it to the top of their list. 

Making your home stand out requires little effort if properly thought out. If you are planning on listing your home come the fall, be sure to take plenty of pictures while the weather is still nice. This will ensure your listing stands out with its bright and clean photos.

3. Buyer Demographics 

While the summer is a great time for young families to relocate because the kids are out of school, it isn’t always ideal for empty nesters or millennials. Empty nesters and millennials can also be out-of-towners which means they’ll want the buying process to move quickly. Speedy closings means you can be settled in to your new home before the holidays.

Staging your home is important but it must be strategically thought out. Millennials and empty nesters tend to be looking for moderate homes. This means millennials will most likely be looking for a nursery or potential playroom, while empty nesters may want an exercise room or guest bedroom. Either way, be sure to strategically stage your home to ensure potential buyers can picture themselves and their belongings.

4. Extra Time for Repairs and Renovations 

The warmer months allow you to fix up all the little odd jobs you’ve been putting off. This means you can easily finish up all the needed repairs before listing your home. Small renovations can ensure listing your home is as stress free as possible.

The repairs or renovations you choose to do should be planned and well thought out. This means pick repairs that are essential in ensuring your home sells. For example, no home buyer wants to purchase a home in October that doesn’t have a reliable heating system.

Listing your home in the fall can be daunting seeing it isn’t the busiest months for the housing market. That being said, it’s important to remember that busier doesn’t always mean better. If you strategically plan out your listing and take all the required steps to ensure your home will stand out come the fall you’ll be sure to find a buyer in no time.

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