The real estate market nationwide has been on fire for quite a while now, and East Tennessee is no exception. It’s definitely a seller’s market. Homes get snatched up almost as soon as they’re listed, and it’s not unusual for bidding wars to ensue as eager buyers lay claim to their dream homes. And now that we’re entering summer, we’re approaching peak home-selling season. In fact, Zillow says July is the best time of year to sell to maximize your profit.
But that doesn’t mean that a seller can just lay back and take it easy and assume that multiple prospective buyers are going to beat a pathway to their door. If you’re selling a home, it’s up to you to do everything you can to maximize its chances of moving quickly, even in a hot real estate market. We have several tips to pass along that will help in that regard, and they’re all things you can do with your yard to spice up your property’s curb appeal and hook buyers before they even walk through the front door. Curb appeal is still a very real thing, because first impressions go a long way toward shaping a potential buyer’s opinion of your property.
• Declutter your yard
This doesn’t take a ton of effort if your yard is in decent shape in the first place. Pick up litter, remove dead plants, pull weeds and fertilize your lawn to help green it up a little. Steps like pressure washing siding and concrete surfaces and repainting fences and front doors can also go a long way as well. If you have a swimming pool, make sure it’s clean and well maintained.
• Go green
In this case, that means adding greenery to your patio, yard or balcony. If you don’t have flowerbeds, you can at least buy some pots and planters to add plant life to your outdoor living spaces. If you don’t happen to be a master gardener, keep it simple. Go for low-maintenance plants that you can mostly leave alone and trust to thrive on their own. Just don’t forget to keep them watered according to their instructions.
• Add a living space
You can increase interest in your property by turning your yard into a comfortable and inviting space. This can be as simple as adding a patio with a table and chairs or adding a fire pit or built-in barbecue area. You could go as far as adding a pool or guesthouse or even a she-shed, but with a larger investment, you’ll want to do your homework and figure out if what you stand to gain from such an addition is enough to offset the cost.
• Increase privacy
Being able to enjoy the outdoors on your property without the prying eyes of neighbors or passersby is definitely a selling point. Options here range from installing shrubs or hedges that create attractive natural barriers to putting up fences that are tall enough to ensure privacy. Of course, you’ll want to make sure such structures are in compliance with your neighborhood’s or subdivision’s covenants and restrictions.
Remember that these improvements can pay off big in the long run, but if in the process of staging your home’s exterior you find yourself needing to temporarily keep some of your belongings out of sight, remember that you can always rent a storage facility to handle the overflow until your home sells.