The real estate market sees cyclical ebbs and flows, just as most things in our world do. While some of these cycles are larger and longer, others are shorter and quite predictable — like seasons. The real estate market sees seasonal changes, especially in locations like Colorado where weather patterns shift drastically throughout the year. If you’re planning to sell your home soon, consider these pros and cons of selling during the fall season.
Pros of Selling Your Home in the Fall
- Less Competition: By and large, fall sees fewer home listings than summer does. While we’ll get into the reasons behind this in discussing the cons of selling a home in the fall, this pattern on its own constitutes an important benefit. Fewer home listings on the market means less seller competition in your area.
- Motivated Buyers: Similarly, the buyers on the market during the fall are often particularly motivated. Instead of drawing buyers who are “just looking” like the summertime does, autumn generally draws more serious buyers. Often, fall buyers are hoping to get into a new home before the holiday season or by the end of the year. This more motivated buyer pool can lead to a faster turnaround and fewer days on market with strategic pricing and staging.
- Weather Advantages: Autumn also brings its own benefits in terms of weather. There are usually fewer snowy days compared to winter and even spring, allowing buyers to be more active in touring home listings. Homes without air conditioning also have an easier time selling during the fall when the hot weather isn’t so aggressive.
- Curb Appeal: For homes with deciduous trees, autumn is often the most stunning time of year in terms of curb appeal. Show off the beautiful colors of your leaves and take comfort in the retreat of aggressive weeds for the season. For those whose landscaping journey isn’t quite finished, fall can be a forgiving time of year to show a home — it’s not hard to mask sub-par grass when most lawns are going dormant anyway.
Cons of Selling Your Home in the Fall
On the flip side of the many benefits of listing a home for sale during the autumn months in Colorado, there are also several downsides.
- Exterior Design Challenges: While some homes truly look their best in the fall, others suffer from seasonal curb appeal challenges like falling leaves, dying gardens and lackluster lawns. If the crowning achievements of your home’s exterior design include flowers or vegetable gardens, fall may not be the best time to try showing them off.
- Dwindling Daylight: Fall also brings more limited hours of daylight as the sun sets earlier each day. This can make it difficult for some to schedule showings during times when the home’s exterior is accessible and easy to see. What’s more, in staging we always aim to make your home feel light and bright, which can prove difficult after sundown.
- Fewer Buyers: While the buyers who are active in autumn tend to be more serious, there are generally fewer of them, which can pose a problem for selling your home. Concerns around moving in the middle of a school year, planning for a busy holiday season, and year-end financial setbacks tend to keep many buyers out of circulation near the end of the year.
Preparing & Marketing Your Home for a Fall Sale
As with any season, there are considerable benefits and drawbacks to an autumn home sale. With the right preparation and a solid marketing strategy, it’s entirely possible to have a smooth and rewarding selling experience during the fall.
To prepare your Colorado home for a fall sale, staging for the season can go a long way. Trimming and cleaning up all landscaping features is crucial to ensure the home’s curb appeal remains intact. Inside and outside, consider adding a few tasteful autumn decorations. Adding to the cozy appeal of the home plays into the season’s changes and can help buyers picture themselves living there. Working toward a flexible daytime schedule to allow for optimal showings before sundown can also play a large role in selling a home during the fall.
Working with a qualified realtor will help you develop a pricing and listing strategy that is appropriate for the fall season. With local market data and deep experience with the seasonality of real estate, we’re ready to help devise the perfect pricing strategy for your goals and future plans. We’ll also create an online listing with high-quality photos and descriptions to help buyers see the beauty in your autumn oasis!
Listing in the fall allows sellers to leverage the cool weather, stunning foliage, and cozy energy of the season. While there are benefits and drawbacks to every season, our goal is to list your home when it aligns with your given situation and particular goals. If you’re deciding whether now is the time to sell, don’t hesitate to reach out! Give me a call at 719-337-7254 or 720-498-9592.
