Real Estate Matters
As the official first day of summer begins on Friday, June 20, it’s time to relax and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. It’s also a great time to look for a new home. These tips will have you ready to house hunt and sell your home simultaneously.
In most markets, the spring season usually is the most important time of the year for buying and or selling a home. At this time of year, buyers and sellers are taking a fresh look at their options. We have had a very active late spring, and now an early summer market is expected to develop, allowing hopeful buyers and sellers to fulfill their 2025 real estate goals.
How should you plan for this summer market? Here are the best tips for buyers and sellers for how to have an effective summer real estate experience.
Buying tips for summer
If you are buying a home this year, you will probably be looking for a resale property. Limited inventory in the resale and new construction sectors, and building material price increases mean that existing resale homes and new homes are still scarce and at premium prices.
Bargain-hunt
While a large amount of days on the market might usually have a negative connotation, if you find a home that is sitting without offers, it may have listed early in the selling cycle, may need some TLC, or a little bit more than a “shave and a haircut” to make it a perfectly nice, move-in ready home that simply hit the market at the wrong time, or was priced too high from the start. These factors may make the seller highly motivated and looking for a quick sale.
In either case, sometimes you may be able to negotiate more than you normally would, even in this hot market. Ask your real estate professional to research for you and to provide and discuss with you the most current comparable homes listed and sold in the surrounding neighborhood.
Consider upkeep
An elaborate garden, manicured shrubbery and other impressive landscaping may give a home tremendous appeal. However, if you are not an experienced gardener, will you be able to maintain that look? As an alternative, how much will it cost to hire a professional to do so?
Consider the home you are looking at from every angle, including upkeep, maintenance and utility costs throughout the year. Those lush green trees will drop a lot of leaves in the fall. Those high ceilings may present a heating challenge come winter. Think through the pros and cons of every season when you are evaluating your new home’s appeal.
Selling tips for summer
You may have been on the fence about selling your home this year. However, low inventory makes this a great time to sell, and you may even find yourself fielding multiple offers on your home. At the same time, you and your real estate professional will want to talk through ways to only bring qualified buyers through your home and to only include upgraded professional photography, for a more impressive presentation and vamped up online marketing presentation of your home.
Accentuate the outdoors
During the summer, outdoor spaces become one of the home’s most effective selling points. Take a look at your existing outdoor spaces. Do they look as good as they could? The grass may be perfect, but how do the hardscapes look? Consider pressure washing paths, patios and driveways to make your outdoor spaces look their best.
Lighten up
Before photography, video tours, or in-person showings, open every curtain and blind, turn on all of the lamps and flood your home with light. Replace heavy draperies with light and gauzy linen. This is the time to open up the window coverings and let the sunshine in. If you have overgrown trees or shrubbery, consider having them strategically trimmed to let in even more light and enhance your home’s exterior spaces.
Summertime staging ideas
Brightening up your home’s interior doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Consider the following simple staging strategies.
Replace dark throws and cushions with light, bright, summery colors that pop.
Focus on decluttering to make your space feel as light as possible.
Replace heavy, dark rugs with bare floors or natural fiber rugs.
Replace dark, formal artwork with light, bright, unframed canvases.
Consider the air quality in your home. Run air purifiers or open windows wide for a breath of fresh air.
Don’t limit yourself to visual cues. Consider summertime scents of citrus or greenery in candles or fragrance diffusers.
Until next time, enjoy every minute of the beautiful Shore Local summer season!
For More Real Estate Questions, Information and Advice Contact Elisa Jo Eagan “The Real Estate Godmother” (609)703-0432 and Remember…”There’s No Place Like Owning Your Own Home!”
