Now That's the Home for You

If you are planning to put your home up for sale in the fall, you may be wondering what you can do to increase its attractiveness to buyers. Besides raking up the leaves and removing the clutter both inside and outside of your home, there are a couple of things that you can do to make your house feel homier when start showing it.

1.  Add Decorative Touches to Your House's Front Porch and Entryway

Since the first impression, a potential buyer has of your house will most often be the most lasting, you want to make them feel welcome and at home as soon as they step onto your front porch and go through the door. One way you can achieve these feelings is to add decorative touches that are representative of fall.

For your front porch, you could strategically place potted mums on either side of the steps or door. You may also think about having small bales of hay with a cute scarecrow lounging on it. Then, for the front door, hang a wreath with brightly colored orange and yellow leaves.

When they enter the house, they could wipe their feet on a fall-themed welcome mat. Then, greet them with autumn decorations such as ceramic pumpkins. The reasoning behind all of these decorative touches is to allow the visitor to imagine themselves coming home to the house during the fall holiday season. 

2.  Give Your House the Smells of Autumn

Along with visual cues of feeling welcome in the house during the fall, you should also consider giving your house the smells of autumn. Smells often bring memories of years past when celebrating certain holidays, and the smells of pumpkin spices could trigger fond thoughts of home.

There are a couple of ways that you can add fall smells in your house. First, you could actually bake a pumpkin pie or loaf of pumpkin bread a couple of hours before the potential buyers arrive. The smells will linger in the air without being overpowering, but they will be faintly detectable.

Second, you could invest in authentic smelling candles. However, do not have candles with smells that are overpowering which could give off the impression that you are trying to hide offensive odors.

If you cannot find subtle scents, blow out the candles about a half-hour before your guests arrive. The odor will still be present but will not stand out too much.

The above tips are only a couple of ways you can set up your house in the fall to give off a homey ambiance for potential buyers. Speak with a home selling agent for more information and tips for staging your house for when you start showing it.