GUIDE TO SELLING IN SUMMER
If you weren’t quite ready to sell in the springtime, but still want to achieve your real estate goals this year, you’re in luck! Summer is actually a popular time of year for home purchases. So, if you are thinking about selling this summer, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the summer market. Follow this guide for insight on how to best navigate summertime buyers and set yourself up for a successful summer sale. Preparing your Home for Summer Weather No matter what time of year you plan to sell your home, you’ll need to make sure it’s in tip-top shape. This includes making any necessary repairs and renovations to maximize your profit. This is particularly important for summer selling, because hot and humid weather can wear and tear a home if it’s not properly taken care of. With summer weather at your disposal, you have the opportunity to present your home at its best. Rather than having snow on the ground, dead or barely sprouted plants- buyers will see your listing in full bloom. This provides a distinct advantage to boost your curb appeal, and make a great first impression on potential buyers. Before the temperature heats up even more, follow these to-do’s on our Summer Home Maintenance Checklist! Understanding the Summertime Buyer Buyers are motivated during the summer months, especially right before the new school year begins. It’s in your best interest to determine your buyer’s motivations and use them to your advantage. Summer buyers are most likely motivated by: TIME. Homebuyers may be taking advantage of the flexibility summer offers with schools out of session. This is especially true for families who are relocating from a different area and have a small window of time to home search and settle before the new school year. These buyers particularly may be willing to pay more for a home if the seller has a timeline that matches their own. LOW INVENTORY. Inventory can be reduced in the summer, especially toward the end of the season. Spring is historically the most common time of year for home purchases, so it’s likely many of the homes in your market sold previously. You may find that there are plenty of disappointed buyers in your area who are now eager to buy in the summer. Summer StagingStaging helps homes sell for more at any time of the year, but summer staging can be uniquely effective. Maximize your sale price potential with these summer staging tips:Keep Things Cool - the last thing you want is your prospective buyers tofeel uncomfortable in your home. Make sure you have the AC set to a cool temperature for showings. It’s also a good idea to turn ceiling fans on so the air in your home is circulating and your buyers are met with a pleasant breeze. Stage Outdoors - Outdoor spaces are huge selling points, and you have the unique opportunity to exacerbate this advantage in summer. Stage every single outdoor space, from your front porch to your deck or patio. You want to put heavy emphasis on how much living and entertaining your home’s outdoor space provides. Make sure to turn on any fountains, pool lights, and waterfalls, light your fire pit, and remove your grill cover. If you want to go the extra mile, set your outdoor dining tables to make them even more inviting. Lighten The Rooms - Replace heavy drapes with sheer or lighter curtains to allow natural light into your home. Swap all heavy blankets, throw-pillows, and towels with light-weight options, such as linen or cotton. The goal is to make the home feel more breathable to your buyers. Add Color - Summer is a vibrant time of year, so why not bring that into your home’s interior? Add pops of citrus colors such as bright yellow, orange, and green. Bright colors will make your home stand-out and be more memorable to buyers. Brighter blue shades are a great alternative if louder colors aren’t your style. Selling While on Vacation A major concern for sellers selling in the summertime is that the real estate process may conflict with prior engagements such as weddings, vacations, and/or travel plans. However, there are strategies you can take advantage of to ensure your summer selling experience is as stress-free as possible no matter where you are. Get on the same page as your agent before leaving town. This includes: price, timeline, and other factors important to you. Establish best practices for communication with your agent. This includes making sure your agent has the correct phone and email, and knows what form of communication is going to work best for you while you’re away. Familiarize yourself with the platforms your agent may need to use, such as online document signing platforms in time-sensitive situations. Try to still check-in with your agent while away on vacation. Designating a specific time for check-ins can be helpful so you aren’t continuously checking your email, texts, or voicemail.
Looking to Move Your Senior Relatives?
When you or the people you love are ready to move, you need more than just an agent. You need a team you can trust. Silver Group® is Lucido Global’s unique division dedicated to providing specialty services to address the challenges associated with a Senior Move. When you’re ready to move, Silver Group® will provide: An extensive referral network of experienced, reputable professionals to help you downsize Our Home Enhancement Listing Program where you defer payment for home repairs until settlement* Our Guaranteed Sale Program where we will sell your home in 90 days or less* FREE home staging consultation and market analysis FREE use of our fleet of moving trucks**Certain restrictions apply. Step 1: Getting Started Over the next two decades, “Boomers” will swell the nation’s older adult population by 30 million, and an estimated 16 million older adult households will be moving in the next decade. Downsizing your senior relatives possessions and home, preparing their home for sale, selling their home, and deciding where to move them can feel like a very daunting project. Knowing what to do first and having detailed information about vendors and resources are the keys to a safe and successful experience. Step 2: Pricing, Timing, and Staging Pricing: Your Realtor® will present to you a detailed market analysis of the home, showing all recent market activity: including pricing for homes that have sold, are under contract, or are currently on the market. Out of this array, a close examination of which homes are most like your relative’s home (square footage, age, condition, improvements) will help your Agent to assist you with recommending the right selling price for your home. Timing: Your agent will be knowledgeable about the timing of the home sale and educate you about how the time of year may impact the process and create predictability around the buyer, and pay close attention to your requirements for your move timetable. If you are under contract with a senior living community, it is usual to have a structured timetable and occupancy date for the move. Staging: Once you have determined the home’s pricing and timing for the sale, the next step should be a visit by a Certified Home Stager, who has specialized training in visual merchandising, current color palettes, and finishes most in-demand by buyers. The Stager will help guide you in preparing the home with the greatest possible appeal to buyers. Step 3: Relocating and Downsizing Relocating: Where are your senior relatives going? Different and common scenarios include moving to a condo or one-level home, in with adult children, moving out-of-state to retirement meccas such as Florida and Arizona, and moving to local retirement communities. Sometimes in-home care is needed if your loved one has been ill and needs help in the interim before the move. Senior Living Search: Senior Care Placement Professionals are expert guides to all of the various types of senior living communities. Life Care Managers are also able to help guide you to the communities that would be your best fit and are able to provide assessments for level of care, family counseling, and to be a part of the conversation between legal and financial advisors for families when a move is happening quickly or unexpectedly due to health events or the loss of a loved one. Downsizing: Assisting your relatives in downsizing their possessions is your next project. You will want to have a grasp of the square footage and storage they’re leaving and where they’re moving to. Make a space plan to help decide what will be taken, what will be left, and what will be offered to family and friends. You may need to clear the home of any remaining items, which can be done by friends & family or by a professional hauler. Step 4: Finances Financial Management: Having guidance for the savviest ways to handle your home-selling profit, your retirement community’s buy-in expenses, understanding capital gains, etc. are important opportunities to design the best outcome for the long term. If managing your senior relative’s finances is not in your capacity, consider using a Daily Money Manager. They are a great resource for people who no longer want the tasks associated with managing their finances, and who are struggling to maintain them due to health reasons or the demands of technology (i.e. elderly and/or sick relatives). Step 5: Moving Moving: Move Managers, also called “Transitioners” or “Downsizers”, are a type of moving service especially useful if you are overwhelmed, busy, distracted, and in need of “more” than what an ordinary moving company is able to provide. These providers can help coordinate work being done to prepare the home for selling, estate sale processes, space planning the new home, sorting, packing, the actual move, unpacking and setting up on move-in day. Think boxes gone, pictures hung, clothes in closets and beds made. Make your senior relative’s move as smooth as possible. Visit LUCIDOGLOBAL.COM./SILVERGROUP to learn more and connect with a Lucido agent who specializes in senior moves today!
Outdoor Projects that Provide the Most ROI
The outside of your home is the first thing that potential buyers see, and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. If you’re interested in giving your home’s exterior a facelift, you’ll want to consider what projects would be the most beneficial to the value of your home. These projects will positively impact your home’s aesthetic and provide maximum ROI (return on investment). Before you start any of these projects, consider your budget and goals. As a rule-of-thumb, you should spend around 10% of your home’s total value on landscaping and hardscaping. So if your home is valued at $300,000, a good amount to spend would be $30,000. OUTDOOR PROJECTS WITH MAXIMUM ROI: Low-Maintenance Water FeaturesA common misconception about outdoor upgrades is that a pool is the most beneficial project. This is inaccurate, as pools are a very expensive addition and many buyers don’t want to have the commitment of poolcare. Smaller water features are often a better bet. Consider adding a small, low-maintenance pond or fountain to your yard. Fire FeaturesFire pits are very attractive to buyers as they add a natural feel to your yard, and create a focal point for gatherings. A stone fire pit is actually rather easy to install, long-lasting, and easy to remove or upgrade if needed. They are also relatively inexpensive and require little upkeep outside of occasional cleaning. Paving Stone WalkwaysWalkways are a safe bet for valuable property addition because they make it easy to navigate through the backyard without having to step on grass or mud. It’s also very important to fix existing cracks or unstable stone/pavement for safety reasons. Power washing the driveway is a quick alternative to pouring new pavement that will make the home’s exterior look and feel new without breaking the bank. PatiosCreating more usable outside space will boost your home’s value as buyer’s gravitate towards homes with outside space to sit with family and host friends. To maximize ROI install a low maintenance stone patio just big enough to fit a table and chairs. Don’t spend money on customizing this patio too much, the buyer’s will do this to match their preferences. Trees + ShrubsTrees + shrubs are easy, low cost to install, and instantly upgrade the appearance of your home’s yard. They also can act as more cost effective fencing, increase privacy, and may even act as a sound barrier if your home is near a busy street. Also make sure the grass in your home’s front yard is fresh, green, and free of weeds or dry spots. This can defer some buyer’s immediately as they may assume the home is not well kept all-together. FencingHigh-quality fencing can go a long way towards your home’s overall value. The key is choosing a material that will last and resist corrosion. Consider PVC, wrought iron, or cedar. Not having fencing can sometimes be a deal breaker to buyer’s with children + pets, or buyer’s who just value their privacy. LightingIn-ground recessed lighting is relatively inexpensive, subtle, will make your home feel more luxurious, and make your home stand-out + more usable at night. Buyers will gravitate towards your home because of the security and visual appeal the outdoor lighting provides. Solar powered lights are also a great low maintenance option.
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