Fall can be a tricky time to sell your home in Washington, DC. People get busy with school and work and the weather becomes less conducive to a stroll around a new neighborhood. There’s something about the sense of urgency in the air and the declining temperatures that make many of us want to hunker down and snuggle up, not uproot our lives and move into a new place.
That’s why staging your home in the fall season is one of the best things you can do to make your space feel immediately cozy and welcoming to potential buyers. In fact, autumn gives you plenty of opportunity to tap into the magic of the season and use it to sell your home.
Here are five simple steps to staging your home to sell in the fall
Put extra effort into curb appeal. As leaves begin to fall off the trees surrounding your house, the exterior is left exposed and bare. You’ll want to be sure your house still looks warm and inviting from the street.
- Clean up your yard. Rake the leaves before showings and get rid of any unwanted weeds. Add fresh mulch to flower beds.
- Make sure everything looks fresh and new. Stain your deck or porch, and get a new doormat.
- Add autumn-inspired plants and décor around your yard, front porch, or stoop, like pumpkins, mums, bold foliage plants, and fall flowers.
- Amp up the cozy. Consider adding outdoor walk up lights to make your home instantly feel well-lit and inviting.
- Don’t forget about your outdoor entertaining spaces. While it might be getting colder, it’ll still be warm enough to use your outdoor spaces until November in DC. Redecorate for fall with a new outdoor rug and throw pillows in warm colors.
Warm up your indoor spaces. People looking to buy in the fall are eager to make their new house or apartment feel like a home right away. Careful attention to decorating details can help make your house feel like the cozy home they were envisioning. (Check out our Pinterest and Instagram for more fall decorating tips.)
- Bring the bright fall foliage indoors. Place an herb basket in the kitchen, display cheerful red apples or another favorite fall fruit or vegetable in a bowl on your dining room table, and arrange fresh fall flowers (some of our favorites are chrysanthemums or helenium) in vases throughout your house.
- Emphasize your fireplace if you have one. It’s getting chilly, and you don’t want people to skip over your gorgeous fireplace! Make sure it’s clean and the mantle is well decorated for fall.
- Use organic textures to make your home feel comfy and move-in ready. Use natural-feeling accessories like textile rugs, and place soft fleece or wool throws over your sofa. Light candles to change the ambiance of a room. Green, orange, and brown accents with warm neutrals are stylish and seasonal.
Aim for sun-soaked spaces. With daylight hours waning, it’s important that you let in as much natural light as possible into every room.
- Let there be light. Open shades, curtains, or shutters in every room.
- Get clean. Remove old window coverings and clean your windows.
- Add mirrors in smaller rooms to create the effect of a larger, well-lit space.
- Replace outdated light fixtures with new airy designs that mimic soft, natural light.
Infuse comfort into the smallest details. The illusion of high cost and comfort can be achieved without big renovations, simply by choosing luxurious-feeling décor.
- Think bling. Shiny elements, like silver and gold, reflect light and create the illusion of an expensive interior.
- Make the master bedroom feel lavish. Layer beds with silky or furry fabrics.
- Create a spa atmosphere in the master bath. Display plush towels in the bathroom, along with mirrored trays with perfume and candles.
Paint over dirty or unconventionally colored walls. This is a good thing to consider when selling your home in any season, but it’s especially important during the fall, when buyers don’t want to do a lot of work themselves. Neutral palettes allow your autumn decoration to stand out and feel warm and inviting, rather than jarring.
For more easy and on-trend tips for staging your home to sell, no matter the season, or get inspired by following us on Pinterest and Instagram!