Fall is one of the quintessentially beautiful times of year: the leaves are changing colour and falling, sunsets get more vibrant, and that morning due is starting to turn into frost. This also happens to be the time of year when property maintenance is most important.
People are not only preparing their homes for the long Winnipeg winter; they’re constantly cleaning up their yards and the outsides of their houses as leaves, twigs, and all the other debris that’s built up during the summer begins to clutter things up.
If you’re selling your home during autumn, it’s extra important that you maintain the exterior and interior of the property so that prospective buyers have the best experience possible when they come to view it.
Here are some tips and a bit of a checklist to help you stay on top of things.
Eavestroughs, eavestroughs, eavestroughs
It seems like a given at this time of year, but keeping your eavestroughs clean will help with drainage during the chilly, rainy autumn days. This will allow water to flow properly out of your downspouts, preventing clogs and pooling.
Rotten eavestrough debris can really start to stink, and overflowing water can create puddles around your property, which can lead to slipping hazards, especially on chillier mornings. Allowing water to drain properly will also hopefully keep it away from your foundation and out of your basement.
Rake often
While raking is one of the most annoying parts of fall, it’s essential that you keep your yard from becoming a carpet of rotting leaves. Most prospective buyers won’t think twice about a thin layer of leaves on your property — it happens to all of us — but as the leaves start to decay, they start to smell.
Make arriving at your home as pleasant an experience as possible for visitors by keeping things tidy and odour-free!
Watch out for ice
As October turns into November (or even sooner!), morning temperatures can drop below freezing on a regular basis. If there’s been rain the night before, you may have some icy patches on your front step or the surrounding sidewalk.
If you know there will be showings, be sure to check around your property for ice and salt it or remove it accordingly. While people should generally be responsible enough to look where they’re walking, it’s best to nip any unpleasant experiences in the bud.
Check your furnace filter
Come the second week of October, you’ll probably have the heat on in your home, so it’s best to have a look at your furnace filter and see if it needs replacing. Dirty furnace filters won’t clean the air in your home as well, which can lead to a stagnant odour, extra allergens floating around, and an altogether “stuffy” feeling in your home.
If you’re selling your home, you may just want to replace your furnace filter anyway, especially if you have pets.
Dust up
If you’re just turning on the heat for the first time this season, give your home a really good dusting beforehand. This will help mitigate that burning smell that homes often get first thing in the fall. All of the dust that has settled in your ducts and on vents or baseboard heaters will start to burn off, and that smell just isn’t pleasant for anyone.
You may even want to look into getting your HVAC ducts professionally cleaned. Not only will this improve the air quality in your home; it will be a little extra “icing on the cake” for potential buyers.
Hold off on the holiday decorations
While you may be inclined to string up the fake spiderweb and throw up the window decals for halloween, maybe hold off while you’re trying to sell your home. Seeing it as “out of season” as possible is the best way for potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home. Plus, rotting pumpkins are only inviting if the Addams Family is coming to look at your home.
Maybe they don’t have your decorating style or maybe Halloween just isn’t their thing. Either way, keep Halloween decorating to a minimum, and certainly keep the Christmas lights in that box in the garage. Don’t make it look like you’re planning to hang around for another few months.
Clean out the garage
It’s a fall tradition for most folks anyway, so hop on cleaning your garage early! Emptying the space as much as possible will give buyers a chance to imagine their vehicle and belongings in there, and it’ll give them a better idea of the space.
This is also a great time to make a dump run or hire a junk removal company, so that potential buyers don’t think they’ll be left with a bunch of trash they didn’t sign up for. Even if there were old doors up in the garage rafters when you moved in, do new buyers a favour and get rid of them.
Last-minute gardening
If you have the time, remove the dying flowers and plants from your flower beds. While they’re expected at this time of year, decluttering your home garden can help make your home look all the more inviting.
Giving prospective buyers as much of a blank slate as possible is the best way to help them imagine themselves living in your home.
Questions?
Looking to sell your home this fall? Call or text Gino Cipriano today at 204-955-5853 or send him an email to get your home on the market and sold as quickly as possible for the best price. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have.