Yes, that favorite time of year is upon us again.  For most of us, as we cool down from the scorching heat of summertime and start to notice the weather mellow and the leaves begin to change colors, we start really get wrapped up in the season.  Well as it so happens, early fall is a perfect time to sell a home.  Here are a few tips to keep the spirit and capture a buyer’s desire during the autumn season.

Clean Up Outside

Sometimes is darn near impossible to keep up with raking rapidly falling leaves.  Although it’s just as easy to leave them until they’ve all fallen, for your autumn open house, you’ve got to rake them up.  Even more, make sure any greenery left from summer that would now be considered more as “brownery” is properly pruned and cut back.  Buyers will notice the effort and the neatness.

Decorate for the Season

No need to overdo it, but if possible go ahead and add a bit of seasonal décor.  Some colorful hearty mums at the entryway would indeed be a nice touch.  Pumpkins are also always an appropriate fall tradition.  Inside, try a festive fall themed centerpiece.  I know it’s usually not recommended to use potpourri or candles at an open house, but maybe the fall makes for a bit of an exception.  A single autumn spice candle might just help set the mood for the open house’s visitors.

Show That the Home is Ready for Winter

Accentuate the features of your home that are appealing to a buyer’s autumn mindset.  As chilly weather begins to take hold, show off the home’s fireplace if it has one.  Instead of actually building a fire, try staging the fireplace with a nearby stack of three or four clean firewood logs to help draw attention to the toasty home selling feature.

Update Your Marketing Material

If the home has been sitting on the market for some time, it might be worthwhile to update any marketing material or open house invitations and fliers to appropriately reflect the season.  Take a couple new exterior photos showing how beautiful the home really is during autumn.  Not only will it appeal to the buyer’s sentiment, but also updating will make it seem as if the home is more newly listed – a big plus for attracting buyers.

Just one more thing – now that autumn is here, also be sure to remember just how fast it passes.  Before long, we’ll be in the holiday season and then the dreary winter that follows.  For the most effective open houses, be sure to stay up to date with the season!