Tips to Sell Your Home in the Summer Heat

Each season represents opportunities and challenges for selling homes. During the Summer, you benefit from longer daylight hours and buyers with vacation time. 

Historically, home sales tend to slow a bit during summer, although that's not accurate this year. Try these tips to sell your home and make the browsing and buying experience more enjoyable. Taking the right approach could make your home stand out from the others and ultimately get you the highest return on investment. 

Pay Close Attention to Your Home’s Exterior Areas

Unfortunately, weeds seem to love the heat and humidity of Summer, and buyers do not want to see lawns and gardens overrun with weeds. The sight will just remind them that buying the home means they will inherit the same chores.

If you don’t have the time to keep your exterior perfect, hire a professional to do the job. Sure, it will cost some money, but it could also help you sell your house sooner, and at a higher price. Most often, lawn and garden care pay for themselves in the end. 

Turn On Your Air Conditioner to Keep Your House Comfortable

When it’s 90+ degrees outside, even walking from the car to your front door can seem unbearable. Offer an immediate blast of refreshingly cool air by keeping your air conditioner on and at a crisp temperature.

What temperature should you choose? You don’t want to freeze people, so anything under 65 degrees is probably too cold. You want to keep visitors comfortable, though, so you don’t want to go too high above 70 degrees. We recommend staying within this range. 

Keep in mind that hosting an open house can make your home seem warmer than usual (more people in the home and the door opening frequently). Consider turning your thermostat down a couple of degrees for open houses.

Get Your HVAC System Inspected Before You Put Your House on the Market

You need an HVAC system that works extremely well during the hottest days of Summer. Don’t run the risk that your air conditioner could fail while it's on the market and actively being shown.

Stay ahead of problems by getting your HVAC system inspected before you put your house on the market. A professional can inspect levels, replace aging parts, and improve efficiency. Good news - knowing that your home's HVAC system has been serviced recently will look attractive to potential buyers.

Emphasize Outdoor Areas People Can Use During Summer

Does your home have an attractive patio, swimming pool, or shaded pergola? This is the perfect time to spruce up those areas, so buyers can imagine themselves enjoying those areas.

Some things to put on your to-do list include:

• Cleaning your outdoor furniture (or buying new furniture).
• Replacing any broken bricks or pavers that mar your patio’s appearance.
• Hiring someone to keep your pool clean and pH levels perfect (any hint of algae will turn off buyers).

Serve Refreshing Beverages

Make people feel relaxed and at home by serving them refreshing beverages. Some great drinks include:

• Lemonade
• Sparkling water
• Cucumber water
• Mango juice

Eliminate Any Pest Problems

Do you have standing water in your backyard that mosquitoes use as a breeding ground?

Do you have an army of ants sneaking into your kitchen through a small crack in the window? 

If you have any pest problems, hire a professional exterminator to eliminate it. Then, get a remediator to fix any aspects of your property that attract pests.