Spring is the Time to Sell Your Home

Spring is a great time to sell your home.

The weather is warm and beautiful flowers help show off your house. It’s a good time for families to move, after school gets out. And people with a tax refund in hand can use it toward a down payment.

Traditionally, spring is the hottest season for real estate. Sales peak in April and May and stay strong in June and July, according to lendingtree.com. 

So, if you’re getting ready to sell your home, Andrea Wolf wants you to do a knick-knack check, among other things. Wolf, who has been a professional organizer for the past four years and runs Huntington Woods-based NEAT — Need Everything Away and Tidy, says even just a few knick knacks can break a sale, especially if they’re ultra-personal.

Here, she shares her best home-staging and decluttering tips. Oh, and if you’re not selling your home, some of these insider secrets could still work for you:

• Scale down the amount of photos around the home. You don't want people to be focused on the amount of "strangers" posted/hung around the house. This goes for knick knacks, too.   
• Keep your thoughts to yourself. Any signs of religious or political points of view should be removed. Believe it or not, people do care whom they are buying from and the less a buyer can judge the better.   
• Go for spaciousness. Move out furniture, if needed. You want your potential buyer to be able to envision his or her own style and furniture in the house.  Not too sparse, but very clean and simple is best.  
• Make closets roomy. Closets should show enough room for growth. Don't overfill an area, even if it is neat.
• Grab a friend. It’s helpful to have someone else look at your home. Let them give you some suggestions. They will always see it differently than you.  
• Add posies. Put some fresh flowers in a vase, and of course, throw away any old, dusty silk blooms or dried-out bouquets.    
• Show off your organization skills. If you have closets set up with bins and an organizing system that looks good, buyers will feel they, too, can be organized in the space.

Are you ready to buy or sell? Find a list of local real estate agents here.

Need some help cleaning up, fixing up or other services? Search our directory of local businesses.

Coming next

Next week, this column will feature a local Realtor who will share her top suggestions for those getting ready to sell their home. Hint: One of her tips has to do with paint.