YOU CAN SELL YOUR HOME DURING THE SUMMER IN METRO PHOENIX!

Sometimes you need to sell your home regardless of what the real estate market is doing. Perhaps you’ve had a job transfer, you’ve found another home you’d really like to buy, or you have an unexpected life change. Selling in an “off season,” such as summer in Metro Phoenix, isn’t ideal but it can be done, and it’s imperative that you do certain things to get the best results.

Typically, in the Greater Phoenix area, the housing market slows down as the temperatures rise around the end of May, especially in the Luxury market when people are vacationing or at their second homes. Is summer the worst time to sell a home in Metro Phoenix? Not necessarily. The Metro Phoenix real estate market is the slowest from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day when people are focused on traveling and enjoying the holidays.

Believe it or not, not everyone is on vacation in the summer! In fact, some buyers have more flexible schedules at this time of year. There are also plenty of buyers that are just getting their search started because they’ve had their own job transfer or unexpected life change. There are also those who didn’t find the right house or got outbid during the busy Spring selling season. Summer can be a good time to sell your home to one of these off-season buyers who don’t want to wait until the Fall or next Spring.

Here are my must-do tips for that summertime home sale:

Target the Right Buyers for Your Neighborhood

As I mentioned above, there are many people who buy homes over the summer. People who are willing to view homes in the heat and when inventory is down are serious buyers who are ready to put in an offer. And some of those buyers are relocating to Metro Phoenix and must move ASAP. You need to target these different types of buyers, tapping into their specific needs.

If you’re in an urban neighborhood, you’ll likely be marketing your home to young, hip, first-time homebuyers who have more flexibility and may not have a hard deadline. You’ll need to price your home right from the start, be generous with your terms (offer to pay for closing costs), and make your home a summer retreat for them.

Also, be flexible with the hours you show your home. With daylight lasting well past dinnertime, be open to later showings. Younger, first-time buyers will find this time more convenient during their work week. Make sure you take advantage of these daylight hours.

For a suburban home, your buyers may be tied to the school calendar and want to settle on a home quickly. You still want to price your home correctly to bring in the foot traffic, make it as move-in ready as possible (they’re looking for convenience and don’t want to deal with “projects”), and showcase your home so it looks like a great place for their family’s summer staycation.

And again, be flexible with your showing hours. Daylight savings means family activities go later into the evening, but they usually find a lull after dinnertime—a perfect window of time for them to see your home.

Showcase Your Home’s Summer Best

Now is the time to make your home shine on the inside and the outside. Make your home super clean, bright, and welcoming—a summertime oasis!

Curb appeal and backyard staging will draw buyers in. You want buyers to want to see your home and then envision themselves relaxing and living there. Outdoor living space can be a big selling point in the summer. You want them to look out into the backyard and see “staycation,” not “Death Valley!”

Plan to spend a little bit on some summer décor, whether it’s a bistro table and chairs on your deck, patio furniture with colorful throw pillows, or a lovely wooden bench and flowerpots near your walkway. This may be a great time to work with a stager so you don’t have to buy so many items yourself. You probably don’t need more “stuff” to sell or move to your new place.

Don’t skimp on or blast the air conditioning. Don’t make your home hot and stuffy so that buyers rush through your home. Alternately, don’t make it so cold that buyers sprint through the rooms (locals refer to this as the “Arizona Winter!”). Set your thermostat at a cool and comfortable temperature. If you’ve already moved, program your thermostat so your home stays cool during available showing times. Buyers will love to get out of the heat!

Brighten up your home. Consider switching out décor such as dark-colored pillows, throw rugs, and curtains, to lighter colors. Clean the windows, open the blinds, and keep the lights on. Bright, daylight lightbulbs throughout every room are essential. This makes a huge impact for a relatively inexpensive investment. Even though it doesn’t get dark until much later in the summer, you still want to light up the inside of your home.

Maintain your yard and water adequately. Mow your lawn, trim your bushes and trees, and sweep your deck or patio regularly. If you want the quickest sale possible for the most money, you’re going to have to keep water on the lawn and flowers in beds and pots. Curb appeal is crucial.

Be prepared to get your family out of the house. If you have children, selling in the summer can be difficult because they are at home instead of at school, possibly all day long. While it can be challenging, try to keep your home in order as much as possible and develop a good exit strategy for those times you need to show it. Showings usually last around 15-45 minutes. Preplan so you have options: set up a play date, sign up for a camp, visit a good friend close by, or head out for lunch or dinner. Before your listing goes live, we’ll go over strategies for showing times personalized just for you, and I’ll give you tips for on how to make quick clean-ups more convenient.

Putting It All Together

As you can see, selling in the summertime doesn’t have to be a negative. You’ll have more daylight hours to showcase your home, you’ll see more serious buyers or those with hard deadlines, and you can still make your home look its best inside and outside in the summer. All positive!

Keep in mind that summer is slower and there will be less traffic to your home than if you listed in the height of the springtime selling season. That can be a chaotic and rushed time, so the lazy days of summer are definitely a different market. Evaluate your needs and keep it all in perspective.

Each seller has their own unique situation and deadline for selling and sometimes that means selling in the summer. You must know your market, right down to the neighborhood so that you can price your home right and know what you should or shouldn’t be doing when negotiating terms.

When is the best time to sell a home in Phoenix? The answer might vary depending on your circumstances. If you need to sell now, don’t let the summer deter you. With the right approach and proper preparation, you can achieve a successful sale even during the off-season.

I am here to help you with a summertime sale. I have a sales plan to get your home sold as quickly as possible for the most amount of money possible. I’d love to tell you all about it. Simply email me and we can set up a time to talk and see if selling in the summer is the right move for you.