Fall is a favorite season for many who live in the Triangle area. As the heat of summer fades giving way to a comfortable cool, it is a great season to buy or sell a home. While spring is known as a popular time for real estate transactions, industry trends point to the fall as the best time to sell a home.
The Benefits of Selling Your Home in the Fall
For sellers, the autumn real estate market is ripe with serious buyers looking for a good home to match their needs. The fall market tends to showcase fewer homes than spring and summer. As a result, your home will become will likely be the focus for many shoppers. To gain a competitive edge in the market, take advantage of the fall season to create curb appeal to impress potential buyers.
How to Get Great Curb Appeal This Fall
Plant Fall Flowers
Seasonal decorations can help a buyer envision themselves in your home. Prepare your outdoors for the fall selling season with decorations that are easy and fast to install. Chrysanthemums, or ‘mums’ are hardy and available in a variety of colors. 
Bacon Farms in Hillsborough is well-known for their variety and great prices. Another versatile option for planting in garden beds or containers are pansies. They are resistant to light frost and like the mum, come in a variety of colors. Locals in the Durham area would also refer you to Perkins Orchard, tucked off Barbee road. Perkins stocks seasonal fruits and vegetables alongside their Mums. You will find pumpkins, which are a staple fall decoration. Another creative and colorful garden installation are cabbages and kales. They offer different texture and are able to survive the Triangle winter.
There are several additional fall perennials that bring color and are hardy enough to withstand weather fluctuations. Perennials are a great option, because they will return the following year. Check with your local nursery to see what’s available. If you're looking for some inspiration, Martha Stewart lists 14 great perennials in this article that will instantly brighten up the garden.
Make sure to have the right tools and equipment to help you plant your fall trees, shrubs, and flowers. A simple list of tools to manage debris, keep your feet warm and dry, and ways to reduce the aches and pains from digging and planting can be found in this other article from Martha Stewart.
Stop by your local garden and plant nursery for tools, plants, and advice for the soil type found in the Triangle.
- Cary: Fairview Garden Center
- Chapel Hill: Niche Gardens
- Durham: For Garden’s Sake
- Pittsboro: Cure Nursery
Freshen Up Your Front Door
Greet your potential buyers with a welcoming autumn wreath on the front door. Foraging through your own yard in the fall can provide the materials you need to make a low-cost and attractive wreath. HGTV has a DIY tutorial on how to create a simple yet beautiful wreath with the pinecones and acorns that are bountiful.
Lawn Care for Curb Appeal
In addition to seasonal lawn care, home owners have fall lawn cleanup duties that can be challenging when you are regularly showing a home. Cutting back overgrown shrubs and dead vegetation/flowers around the home will position the home as the feature of the visit.
Consider the leaf collection schedule in your respective county as you schedule time to get your house in order. Remember to clean leaves from gutters around your home. Check the following Triangle county sites for leaf pickup procedures and schedules:
Spruce Up Your Home Beyond Curb Appeal
Take advantage of the season and create the ambience of fall inside your home. Placing the delicate scents of fall around your home can instantly give people a sense of home. Check out 23 Cozy Ways To Make Your Home Smell Like Fall for quick tips on how to incorporate scents without overwhelming your guests.
The colors of fall decor can brighten any room. Final touches on a staged room can include a bright autumn quilt or a fall centerpiece on the dining table. Don’t be afraid to use bright autumn colors to brighten a dull sofa.
Meet Malissa McLeod
At My NC Homes we often work with Malissa McLeod for staging homes. She has a great perspective, experience, and expertise on how to draw out the best in a home. Her website is filled with tips on decorations and color. Consult her website to gather some helpful suggestions on what will work with your existing color palette and decor.
With shorter days and cloudier weather, showing a home in the fall may require some lighting adjustments. You can make quick adjustments by cleaning and removing window screens. Clean windows will also ensure more light will make it into the home. The residual dust and rain water marks will block the potential light coming through. Pull back the curtains and raise the blinds to maximize daylight. You will also want to turn on all of the lights before the showing. 
There are a wide array of light bulbs to choose from now at the hardware store. CNET notes daylight toned LED bulbs offer a pure white light, “without the drowsy yellow tinge. Their list of bulbs will help you make the right choice on specifications and price. They also identify whether dimming is a factor and give a range of considerations.
Homebuyers are ready to take advantage of a less competitive market in the autumn. The timing is right for many sellers in the market. Staging your home outside is essential to a positive first impression.
Posted by Larry Tollen on
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