10 Things To Do Before Listing Your Ann Arbor Home This Summer

Many would-be Ann Arbor home sellers want to rush the market in the summertime because they’ve heard that it’s saturated with home buyers.

While it’s true that the spring and summer are traditionally great times to sell because buyers are interested in moving in before the school year starts, it is still important for sellers to properly prepare for entering the market.

After all, buyers also are distracted by summer vacations and kids home from school during the summer. Thus, it’s important to quickly grab their attention when they do spend an afternoon navigating the market.

Selling Your Ann Arbor Home During the Summer Months

Here are 10 things that you can do to effectively prepare your home for the housing market:

1. Be diligent about mowing the lawn. Everyone knows grass grows quicker during the summer. And while you may be willing to skip a week as a homeowner out of sheer convenience, it’s important to stay on top of mowing the lawn frequently – perhaps even twice a week if necessary. You don’t want to risk your lawn appearing unkempt to an interested home buyer because that buyer may assume the rest of your house is equally unkempt.
2. Set the right scene outside. Speaking of curb appeal, we recommend giving your home’s exterior a major facelift by taking the time to plant some colorful flowers and trimming the bushes. Don’t forget to sweep the walkway and perhaps even repaint the shutters. While these sorts of improvements are important year round, they’re especially important during the summer since buyers are spending a lot of time outdoors.
3. Don’t forget the backyard! Summer is the perfect season to spend quality time with the family outdoors.  Now wouldn’t it be easier to imagine that if the lawn furniture was already arranged accordingly? Help home buyers see themselves living there by setting the scene. You may even consider setting up a vignette of plates and a pitcher of water on the backyard table.
4. Remove As Many Personal Belongings as Possible. Buyers like to imagine themselves inhabiting the property. Its easier for them to do this when the space is opened up and there aren’t any references to personal items. Consider renting a storage unit and remove as much from the house as you possibly can. Clean out the closets, take down photos and pull items out of cabinets.
5. Let there be light. Home sellers have an extra tool in their belt that sellers in winter don’t have: a large amount of natural light. So make the most of it by opening curtains throughout your home. The light will make your home feel more warm and inviting. It will also make it seem larger.
6. Make sure your windows are crystal clear. It won’t do any good to open up the curtains if your windows are so dirty that hardly any light is getting in. So remove the storm windows and hire a professional to clean your windows. It makes a huge difference.
7. Spend some time deep-cleaning the house. With all of that light streaming in, it’s going to be easier for home buyers to see the dust on your fixtures and the dirt in the corner of the kitchen. So before you start showing your house, give it a deep-cleaning. Polish the cabinet knobs, mop the bathrooms, scrub the bathtub, vacuum the carpet (don’t forget floorboards!) and clean the kitchen stove.
8. Think bright and sunny when it comes to color schemes. Preparing a home for showings is all about creating an irresistible ambiance for buyers that allows them to visualize living there. Pursue that effect by adding summer hues indoors, perhaps a bright yellow pillow on the sofa or a baby blue painting in the bathroom. You’d be amazed what these little accents can do to highlight your home’s assets and downplay its flaws.
9. Put a Fresh Coat of Paint on the Interior.  Remember when your toddler accidentally ran some purple marker along the floorboards of your bedroom? Or when you put a smudge on the stairway walls as you were trying to carry a television up the stairs? While these may be funny or even endearing memories for you now, they might not necessarily be appealing to home buyers.  So consider giving the interior of your home a fresh coat of paint.
10. Steam Clean the Carpets.  It’s amazing what a steam cleaner can do that a regular vacuum cleaner just can’t.  To see what we mean, take a before and after picture of your carpet.  It’s incredible!  And your freshly cleaned carpet is sure to impress prospective buyers!

Exceptional Home-Selling Assistance for You!

If you’re considering selling your home, great opportunities await on the summertime housing market! To learn more about home prices in your particular neighborhood and what you need do to get your home ready for sale, contact us, the Ann Arbor Real Estate specialists with The Bouma Group today at 734-761-3060 or email info@bouma.com. Be sure to check back at our blog for even more home-selling tips and resources in the future!