Check out these summer home selling tips

Summer is heating up and so is the summertime seller's market. If you’re thinking of selling your home this summer, check out these tips to help get you going.

The first step to selling your home is selecting the right professionals to help you through the process. To start, you will want to take the time to find a real estate agent and loan officer to help figure out how much you can realistically sell your current home for, and how much you can afford to spend on your new home.

Every seller has a different set of priorities and a different timeline for selling their home. Some need to sell immediately, while others can afford to keep their home on the market longer if needed. You will discuss all of this with your real estate agent, but in most cases, you’re going to need to get your home in tip-top shape before you put it on the market. This will help your home sell quickly, and for the most money possible.

Here are some tips to help sell your home this summer:

Put emphasis on the outdoor areas. Create an inviting space on your deck, porch, or patio with plants, furniture, and outdoor décor. If you don’t have any of those spaces, you can still arrange chairs or outdoor furniture in your yard to create the illusion of outdoor room.

Turn up the AC and ready the refreshments. Homebuyers will feel refreshed when they enter your home after traveling through the heat to get there. You should also keep bottled water and pre-packaged snacks on hand.

Display fresh flowers. Flowers create that welcome home feeling, plus they smell great. Bonus points when they’re from your own garden.

Create a warm welcome. Start by cleaning or repainting your front door and purchasing a new welcome mat. Consider adding some potted plants near the door and investing in new house numbers or a new porch light.

Maximize curb appeal. If you can’t get a buyer excited about the exterior of your home, they might never step inside! Upgrade your curb appeal by mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, clearing sidewalks, cleaning the patio and outdoor furniture, clearing toys, and adding some perennials for a touch of color.

Play up your pool. Pools are becoming more popular these days as people have less access to public pools. If you have a pool, make sure it’s clean and inviting. Be sure to have some furniture nearby so people can imagine themselves hanging out by the pool on a hot summer’s day.

Have flexible showing hours. In the summer, it might stay light until after 8 p.m., so don’t be surprised if house hunters don’t want to skip out of work early to tour your home. Keeping flexible hours will ensure that you have maximum traffic to your home.