6 SIZZLING SUMMER SELLING TIPS AS THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HEATS UP IN THE SUMMER

Summertime is an excellent time to be selling a home, but most sellers would rather enjoy the weather or be on holiday and don't want to spend their entire Summer trying to sell their home. However, proper preparation before and during the marketing period can save a lot of frustration and time!

Here are some hot tips on how sellers can put their best foot forward right from the start and secure a quick and easy sale.

1. Let the Summer into your home

Buyers love light and bright homes. Open curtains and let the sunshine in. Strategically placed pot plants and fresh flowers add a joyful touch. Make sure your home smells wonderfully fresh.

2. First impressions count - a lot!

If your house has curb appeal - great! If it has not - create! Add cheerfulness to your home by adding colourful flowers in pots near the front door. Generally, the foliage will be in full blossom and the grass will be green. Make sure that the grass is neatly mowed, and the pool is sparkling clean. It is very important that the exterior of your home looks clean, crisp, and attractive.

3. Attend to essential repairs prior to listing.

It's important when selling a home during the Summer that buyers are not distracted by repairs that have been neglected during the cold season but are focusing on all the positive aspects of the property. Concentrate on the items that could influence the first impression, for example, the roof, gutters, leaking taps and broken windows. touch up peeling paint, seal the driveway and paint or clean up the front door. Homeowners who complete repairs prior to listing their home not only will end up with a higher sale price, but also secure a sale quicker.

4. Depersonalise and Declutter the Home

Personal effects, family photos, or notes on the fridge are distractions. Buyers should rather imagine themselves occupying the home than being side-tracked. Decluttering is probably the most essential preparation to tackle to so generate the idea of spaciousness. Not only is depersonalising and decluttering your home a way to keep a buyer focussed on the living spaces but it is a great safety tip to follow when selling a home.

5. Highlight outdoor living spaces

When selling your home in the Summer, it makes sense to emphasise outdoor areas that your family enjoys together. Make sure the braai area, patio, and pool are clean and look inviting. Make it easy for the buyer to imagine entertaining friends and family, and the offers will soon line up on your desk.

6. Get the price right

You need a Property Professional to determine the correct marketing price. Price is determined by what a buyer (that have or can obtain the purchase price) is willing to pay for your house, and buyers buy by comparing similar properties to find the best deal. That price is never what you as the seller have calculated by adding your expenses to remodel, what you paid and your purchase cost, or what proceeds you need to buy another home. A Property Professional worth his salt will take current market conditions and comparable properties into consideration when determining the marketing price. It is imperative to take that advice because if you are insistent that your price be used, your property will, without doubt, take much longer to sell and you will most likely land up getting a lower price than what was initially suggested to you.

So, work with your Property Professional, prepare your home well before showings, and let the sunshine in, and soon you will have the right offer to accept, and still have enough of the summer months left to enjoy to the full!