Ahh, fall—eagerly donning the sweaters that you’ve missed so much; checking out the changing colors at Houk Stream, Loy Garden and Centennial Park; and getting your house ready for that spring sale you’ve been planning.
Wait, what?
That’s right: The time to start planning is now.
Before you turn the clock back an hour and hunker down with vats of hearty home cooking, consider that the majority of military transfer orders arrive in late Feb. By Mar. 1, personnel assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will be preparing for some serious home searching.
Many military families now buy homes sight unseen, exclusively through virtual tours. Others come in for a four-day house hunting weekend during the months of Mar. and Apr. They’re often looking to move by Jul.; and since it generally takes a minimum of 30 days to close a home sale, you need to be prepared early.
The change of seasons also brings other house hunters out of hibernation. Whether seeking a larger home for an expanding family or looking to downsize when the last child leaves the nest, they see spring as the logical point to begin the next phase of their lives.
Today’s homeowners expect move-in-ready HGTV showplaces. Look around. Why is Great-Grandma Rose’s dining room table still in your guest room, eight years after you inherited it? What about the hole that Declan put in the wall, when he decided to skateboard through the living room?
The homes that sell the most quickly and for the most money are those that have been properly maintained and appear picture perfect; and it takes time to get them that way. You don’t want to frantically tackle these projects, as other homes are beating you to the punch.
Spring is indeed a good time to sell your home, making fall the ideal season to consult an experienced real estate agent who can offer sound advice on prepping and staging your property. Taking the initiative now will allow you to calmly and confidently erect that “for sale” sign, as soon as the first crocus peeks up from your freshly laid mulch.
Be the first on the market next spring…or even before then, if you want to be the earliest bird on the block. Houses (especially in Oakwood) certainly sell all 12 months of the year!