We’re officially entering the fall selling season, the best season for real estate after spring. As kids head back to school, parents can turn their attention to buying before the new semester starts in January. Fall is the sweet spot for families because if you close the deal by Thanksgiving they have the holiday break to move in and settle down.

But listing a property doesn’t mean that you will automatically have a buyer. In order to take advantage of the selling season, here are three important tips to sell your house this fall.

1. Find out what similar homes are selling for.

If you don’t know this piece of information, you cannot begin to decide how to update your home to get it sold. You must know what other homes are selling for in order to list your home at a realistic price and position it for the best market.

To figure out what other sellers are offering, you’ll need to do a little bit of digging. Start visiting the homes for sale in the neighborhood. Visit more than one property and ask lots of questions. Talk to the real estate agents representing the homes on the market and ask how long it’s taking to sell. Ask what kind of homes buyers are looking for and who is buying in your neighborhood. The more information you have, the more prepared you will be to sell your house to the right person at the right time.

2. Fix up your house from the outside, in.

Once you list your house, buyers will be viewing it online first so curb appeal should be one of your top priorities. The outside of your house should look inviting and clean. You may want to fix up the garden, get a new door and remove old junk from the driveway. Before buyers commit to seeing the inside of your house, buyers will drive by the property. You want it to be the cutest house on the block.

After the outside looks great, have the inside scrubbed clean. Consider throwing up a fresh coat of neutral-colored paint, cleaning the carpets and packing away your personal mementos. Professional photos could help preserve that clean and bright sensation when buyers see it online.  In the end, your house should look like it could appear on HGTV. If you need more tips to spruce up your house, check out my YouTube channel, ExpertRealEstateTips.

3.  Decide what kind of seller you are.

Before you list your house, you need to understand what kind of seller you are. Are you a realist or anxious to get rid of an underwater home as soon as possible? Are you a pie-in-the-sky seller, looking to gain a lot from the sale? Understanding your motives will help you price your house accordingly. (And perhaps your attitude will change depending on the information you gather about what is realistic for your neighborhood.) 

If you follow those three steps, you should be able to achieve your goals and hopefully sell your house within 30 to 60 days. Don’t rush into selling. Gather as much information as possible first so that you can save time later.

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