FALL STAGING TIPS

Fall Staging Tips

September 4, 2015    Matt Lemmon

Fall isn't the typical home "selling season." Kids have gone back to school and the days get shorter. Not to mention the fast-approaching holidays and an uptick in yard maintenance.

But, maybe a home you're selling sat on the market through the summer, and you're ready to take advantage of a drop in competition. Maybe your clients are empty nesters who are super motivated to get out of their home, regardless of the season.

If you are desperate to sell that home by the holidays, there are some steps you can take to boost your listing's curb appeal, and they have nothing to do with hay bales and pumpkins

The ever-helpful HGTV offers a gallery of easy staging tips that have more to do with design and decor than big fixes. Our favorites include "letting in the light" (the oblique angles of the autumn sun make for a unique glow in certain rooms) and "using seasonal scents."

From the article:

Nothing says fall like the pleasing aromas of apples and cinnamon. Before showing your home, burn a cinnamon-scented candle or simmer a pot of apple cider on the stove with a stick of cinnamon thrown in. If you opt for cider, leave it in a thermos with cups for buyers to enjoy.

Mmm. Apples. And don't forget the ubiquitous pumpkin, though apples are probably a lighter, less polarizing option.

A  few excellent points, from the obvious (outdoor maintenance is difficult in the fall, play up your fireplace) to the not-so-obvious, including the fact that, for households with kids, family clutter may be more difficult to manage during the school year.

Make ample room in an easily accessible but enclosed place for backpacks, lunch boxes and school projects. For young students, create a scrapbook for artwork instead of using the refrigerator or bulletin board.

Also: The days are getting shorter. Be sure to illuminate the exterior of your home, as some potential buyers may be doing drive-bys in the twilight hours after they get off work.

A final article, this one from AOL's real estate site, preaches "less is more." While a fireplace is a good mood-setter, avoid candles - you never know what scents might turn off a buyer. They also urge sellers to tone down the seasonal decorations, particularly Halloween.

If people are looking at your Halloween decor they aren't looking what you want them to -- the house. Have the party at the neighbors' this year and the kids can live it up at school, but at home keep your celebrating to a minimum.