Getting ready to sell your house? Then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work because there are tons of things to do before listing your home!

Real estate agents must know how to market and sell a home during summer, when many people are either out of town, busy doing fun activities or trying to stay out of the heat (which means no driving around to view houses). The change of seasons naturally encourages people to start thinking about options to move to a new home, and for homebuyers who are financially ready, that’s certainly the case.

Historically, the most active time for buying and selling real estate is when the weather gets warm, and it is expected to blossom this year as the housing market springs back to life nationwide.

If you are getting ready to list your home or investment property, a short punch list of small but meaningful maintenance tasks can make a big difference in perceived value to potential buyers and, ultimately, your financial return. Summer tends to be a short season in real estate terms because families and other potential home buyers must get back to ‘reality’ at some point. But these few months can be lucrative for agents who know how to market smartly. Putting yourself in a buyer’s shoes is the key to successfully selling a home during the summertime. Think about what a future homeowner would like to see and experience, and how a listing might grab their attention over the myriad of temptations summer offers.

So, before you put your house on the market, peruse this checklist for selling a house of what to do. Some of these tips are surprisingly easy, while others might require a bit more elbow grease. But they’re bound to pay off once buyers start oohing and ahhing over your place—and hopefully ponying up a great offer. It’s a time for pool parties, beach vacations, graduations, and backyard barbecues. It’s also a great time to sell a house. May through July home sales are traditionally hot, with homes often selling for more than 10 percent above market value. But along with the benefits of selling your home during the summer, there are some challenges. If you’re considering listing your home this summer, here’s what you need to know so you don’t get burned.

Perks of Listing a Home in the Summer

The biggest benefit to listing in summer is obvious — having more potential buyers looking for homes often results in a higher sale price. But there’s another benefit: Summer buyers are often time restricted. These buyers usually need to find a home before school starts in the fall, so they’re highly motivated. Also, since the weather is pleasant, buyers are out looking more, and they’re more willing to attend open houses. The days are longer in the summer, making it easier for buyers who work during the day to see homes in the evening.

Because the days are longer and the sun is usually shining, your house will look better in the summer than at any other time of the year — especially if you keep up with the landscaping. Buyers are often looking for a light, bright house, so keep those curtains and blinds open so all that sunshine can bathe your home in a summertime glow.

Summer is a great time to go on vacation, which could make showing your house easier for you and your real estate agent. Get your house show-ready before you leave and notify your agent that you’ll be away. This will give your agent a chance to show your home freely, and you won’t have to worry about constantly cleaning in preparation for showings.

If you need to buy a new home in addition to selling your current home, summer is the best time to do this since so many houses are on the market. You should be able to not only find a buyer quickly but find a new home quickly as well.

MAE SURE TO DE-CLUTTER

A top tip that is applicable year-round is to declutter your home before putting it on the market for sale. It’s particularly hard for a buyer to imagine themselves living in a property if the house is full of belongings, visualizing how their furniture would fit or how they would live there could become challenging and result in putting a buyer off when in fact the property might be perfect underneath the clutter!

Rooms that are tidy and organized not only view better in person but look beautiful in online photos and virtual tours which is incredibly important.

The same applies to any very personal artwork or ornaments you might have in your home that might be distracting. Whilst it is currently your home and you live there, you might be able to secure a buyer quicker or achieve a higher sale price by enabling buyers to view the property as their own.

For more tips on decluttering and organizing your home our previous blog and interview with decluttering expert Esme might be an interesting read.

FOCUS ON THE GARDEN

Gardens are in high demand and are usually at some of their most beautiful stages in the summer, it’s an excellent time to show off a well-maintained outdoor space. If you have a garden and you’re selling a house in the summer, you should be focusing your attention on the garden. Be sure to regularly mow the lawn, remove weeds, and cut any hedges or overgrown trees that might be restricting the natural light.

Set the stage for buyers so they can imagine themselves spending time in your garden. Get out the garden furniture, if it’s looking a bit drab then a lick of paint can go a long way to creating a more welcoming space.

If you’re looking to inject some color into your garden, plant pots can be a wonderful addition to brighten the space. Beautiful flowers and green plants will bring new life into your home. Florals create a warm and welcoming environment and smell great, too. Some fun options are tall palm trees in the corner of the room and fresh-cut flowers in a beautiful vase on the coffee table and dining table. Smaller arrangements are best to place by the bedside. If you have a front yard or backyard, make sure your landscaping is in tip-top shape.

There's nothing better than the feeling after a little cleaning, and once you complete these tasks, you may not even want to move anymore. But rest assured, if you follow these recommendations before listing your home this summer, you will find the low effort will pay off in big rewards.

CLEAN THE WINDOWS

When the sun is shining dirty windows can be particularly evident and, in some cases, can take away the light that fills a room.

If you don’t have the time or the tools to clean the windows yourself hiring a window cleaner might be a good idea as it can make a difference.

Many houses now have large doors or multiple, bi-folding doors which lead out onto the garden which get dirty quite easily if you have young children or pets so be sure to include a quick once over of these spots before viewings to show off your home.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PESTS

One of the perks of the colder winter months is fewer creepy crawlies. When the temperature starts to rise, little scuttling friends come out to play, often finding their way into our homes. You don’t want potential buyers walking in and finding ants, flies, or roaches, so if you haven’t had your home checked for pests lately, now is a good time to call the pest control company. Also, don’t do anything that might attract pests, like keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter or leaving cookies out for potential buyers. You could find fruit flies or sugar ants also enjoying your tasty treats.

STAGE A SUMMERTIME HOME

Staging a home can positively affect buyers, so take advantage of the playful nature of summertime and create interiors that sizzle.

Summer staging tips include decorating with beachy scented candles, placing fresh flowers (think sunflowers) around the home, setting up a refreshment stand, and swapping out pillows and textiles for those with tropical or nautical them (or simply bright and cool colored options). It’s hot, and your potential buyers might be parched. If they’re busy thinking about how thirsty they are, they’re not focused on your home. Before the show, arrange a tray with bottled water or a pitcher of lemonade. If you include treats on the tray, make sure they are covered (see the section about pests above).

KEEP THE PROPERTY COOL

Selling a home during the summer can be challenging if the air conditioning isn’t working or the property doesn’t have a cooling mechanism. Buyers who sweat throughout a home tour aren’t likely to have positive thoughts about making an offer.

Keeping your listing cool during showing hours is one of the most important things you can do to sell a home during summer. Call an HVAC technician for a quick fix if the home doesn’t have a central A/C or a window unit that works well. No air? Consider installing wall-mount air-conditioning units or ceiling fans. Place fans throughout the property and ensure they’re quiet and attractive. Open the curtains and blinds and allow air to flow through the property. The sun shines for the longest through the summer months meaning you should take advantage of all the natural light that’s available through the day.

Certain rooms in most homes are prone to getting hotter than the rest of the house simply because they sit in the sun for the longest. Whilst light is a good thing an overheated room does not view well, similarly an orangery or conservatory can become very warm, especially at the height of summer so try to keep air flowing through the property to avoid a room becoming uncomfortable.

TIDY UP THE EXTERIOR

We’ve mentioned the garden as an exterior area to focus on when selling a house in the summer but what about the other areas of your property? Buyers' first impressions quite literally begin from the second they lay eyes on the house meaning an unkept front hedge or peeling window frames are likely to set the tone of ‘needs work’.

West London properties often have bay windows and might have original sash windows, investing in redecoration of any painted masonry and windowpanes can make a huge difference to the first look of a property.

Equally any front garden or pathway and the front door should be tidied up as much as possible. Trimming the hedge and giving the path a clean one can help.

RELOCATE YOUR TRASH BINS

What’s the first thing you want potential buyers to smell when they arrive at your home? Fresh air and blooming flowers? The tempting aroma of freshly baked treats? Whatever it is, it probably isn’t the wafting scent of warm, stinky garbage. Trash bin odors are much more pervasive during the summer months, so try to keep your bins out of the sun and far from the entrances to your home. Don’t discard notoriously smelly items like fish or raw meat until trash day, and make sure the lids on your bins are tightly closed.

SELLING A HOME IN THE SUMMER – A GOOD THING?

There might have previously been the connotation that selling a house in the summer was not a good idea as people typically disappear off on holiday or have the children home for school so might not have the time to focus on finding a home, historically many would put their search on pause – this is no longer the case for the majority.

Summer can be slow for home sales and hectic for people trying to squeeze many activities into a few short months. To attract buyers to your property and persuade them to call your listing their new home, embrace the season with our tips for selling a home during summer. Make necessary repairs, keep the yard up, stage fun outdoor living spaces, and keep the property cool. Create a summertime vibe with seasonal decor that sells the summer lifestyle.