Autumn is here, and with it, several different holidays including Thanksgiving and Halloween. When prepping for a fall home sale, you need to take into these into account, along with the cool weather and warm colours that fall offers.
Here are a few staging tips that you can do to make your home more appealing for hopeful home buyers, especially when you’re listing houses for sale in competitive regions such as in the Toronto or Vancouver real estate markets.
Include some Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations
Adding a few nods to well-known fall holidays is a great way to add some more uniqueness to your home. However, make sure to not go overboard – too many showy decorations could actually negatively effect on how potential home buyers see your home. Some good examples of subtle decorations include having a jack-o’-lantern on the front porch and some scented candles in the living room, both of which help liven up the room without being too overbearing.
Make use of the season’s warm colours
Fall is home to some of the most beautiful colours that nature can offer. Leaves go from green to red and orange, blanketing the ground with fiery colours. You can use this palette as inspiration on which colours to include when staging your home. For example, having flowers such as chrysanthemums, orange gerberas and dahlias in a vase in the dining room or living room help inspire the feeling of a fall harvest from the discerning home buyer. In addition to seasonal flowers, including a bowl of candy, apples, or even a bottle of cider beside some wine glasses also helps stage your home as a warm and cozy place to live.
Use season-appropriate accessories
This is a great opportunity for homeowners to try warmer colours for things such as pillows, throws, and bedding; this can be a help, especially when the base furniture looks dated and needs a facelift. Try replacing a drab sofa pillow with a fluffy one with varying textures. As for bedding, try looking for something that is heavy and very cozy.
And speaking of scented candles, while fresher smells tend to work best in home staging, Fall allows for a spicier scent to compliment the cozy décor additions to your home.
Improve your curb appeal
This is less important for condo sellers, but for those listing larger homes for sale, it’s important to take extra care of your lot this season.
During this time, you should be raking the leaves regularly so they aren’t cluttering your lawn, as well as doing any other outdoor maintenance such as applying a fresh coat of paint for your front patio or back deck. Doing all of this helps create a good first impression before buyers visit the rest of your home.