THINKING ABOUT LISTING YOUR HOME ON THE MARKET? SUMMER MAY BE THE PERFECT TIME!
Ready to sell now, contact us?
Ah spring! As winter’s cold hold on the area loosens its grip, local and out of town buyers kick into house hunting mode in Northern VA. Until recently, our own experiences and industry research has shown that early spring is the traditional favored buying season.
But that's history, the market is different now! What's Changed?
- In 2015, there was a significant lack of available housing inventory.
- Spring buyers faced stiff competition, brought on by the tight inventory, and higher prices.
- The home shopping window expanded later into spring and through summer, as buyers didn't find what they were looking for or were outbid on available homes.
- The trend is holding for 2016.
How Serious Are Summer Buyers?
According to the National Association of REALTORS, more than 40% of all home sales occurred during the months of May through August last year. ~ NerdWallet
Zillow Researched the best time to sell a house
In March 2015, (for the year 2014), their research showed the best time to sell A home was: mid-March to mid-April.
Updated: March 2016 data (stats from the year 2015) shows the impact low inventory is having on the market. the best time to sell a home was pushed back to: early to mid-May.
Ask us your summer real estate questions!
PREPARE YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME FOR A SUMMER SALE
An important part of getting your home ready is determining the value of your home on the market and setting a price. Once we complete our valuation, we can recommend improvements, enhancements or repairs that will generate more profit.
Part of our home valuation analysis will be the comparable report or "comps" that provide a snapshot of homes that have sold in your area. Alone, the comps can't be used to set your listing price, but they are an important piece of our pricing strategy. Other factors include the condition or your home, the demand for homes in your area, amenities that your community offers, etc.
In the comp example, you can see important data that's revealed about a home sale, like interior square footage, listing price and closed price.
There are some simple truths about getting a house ready for sale any time of the year, but here are three considerations for the summer.
CURB APPEAL
Keeping your summer landscape trim, tidy and green is key. In other seasons, home buyers expect trees and plants to be dorment, but in the summer, everything is in bloom and should be healthy. Be sure to water plants, flowers and grass; keep the lawn neat with regular mowing. HAVE A POOL? Make sure the water and deck are clean.
KEEP COOL
Showings will happen during the day when you aren't home and you don't want to turn off buyers with a hot, stuffy house. So, be sure to keep the air conditioner on low during the day. You'll impress them with the cool air and show them how great your system works. Get a programmable thermostat if you don't have one already to better control costs.
SUMMER VACATION
We can help you sell your home while you're on vacation. If you can stay close to your phone to field offers, and access a fax machine or printer to receive, sign and send back contracts, selling your home while you're away will be a breeze! Wouldn't it be great to clean and stage your home, go on your trip, have showings while you're away and come back to a sold home?
THE SUMMER REAL ESTATE MARKET IS HOT!
Contact us to get a snapshot of your home's current value. We'd love to show you your home's potential!
