Tips to Sell Your Home in the Dog Days of Summer

by Ron Pepka

Each season represents opportunities and challenges for selling homes. During the dog days of summer, you benefit from longer daylight hours and buyers with vacation time. Then again, plenty of people despise confronting the heat and humidity of summer’s roughest months.

Home sales tend to slow a bit during summer, although that's not necessarily accurate this year. Try these tips to sell your home to make the browsing and buying experience more enjoyable. Taking the right approach could make your home seem like the best option on the market.

Pay Close Attention to Your Home’s Exterior Areas

Unfortunately, weeds seem to love the heat and humidity of summer. It can seem impossible to keep them under control. You don’t have much of a choice, though, because potential home-buyers do not want to see lawns and gardens overrun with weeds. The sight will just remind them that buying the home means they will inherit the same chores.

If you don’t have the time or stamina to keep your exterior perfect, hire a professional to do the job. Sure, it will cost some money, but it could also help you sell your house sooner, at a higher price. Lawn and garden care might even pay for itself.

Turn On Your Air Conditioner to Keep Your House Comfortable

When it’s 90+ degrees outside, people can get sweaty walking from their vehicles to your front door. Offer an immediate blast of refreshingly cool air by keeping your air conditioner on.

What temperature should you choose? You don’t want to freeze people, so anything under 65 degrees is probably too cold. You want to keep visitors comfortable, though, so you don’t want to go too high above 70 degrees. If you stay within that range, most people will feel relaxed and cool.

Keep in mind that body heat will make crowded open houses warmer than normal. If you have a lot of people in your home, consider turning your thermostat down a couple of degrees.

Get Your HVAC System Inspected Before You Put Your House on the Market

You need an HVAC system that works extremely well during the dog days of summer. Don’t run the risk that your air conditioner will die during a week when you know several people will visit your property.

Stay ahead of problems by getting your HVAC system inspected before you put your house on the market. A professional can inspect levels, replace aging parts, and improve efficiency. Good news - knowing that your home's HVAC system has been serviced recently can double as a benefit to potential buyers.

Emphasize Outdoor Areas People Can Use During Summer

Does your home have an attractive patio, swimming pool, or shaded pergola? This is the perfect time to spruce up those areas so buyers can imagine themselves enjoying the spots.

Some things to put on your to-do list include:

Cleaning your outdoor furniture (or buying new furniture).
Replacing any broken bricks or pavers that mar your patio’s appearance.
Hiring someone to keep your pool clean and pH levels perfect (any hint of algae will turn off buyers).

Serve Refreshing Beverages and Foods

Make people feel relaxed and at home by serving them refreshing beverages and foods. Some great drinks include:

Lemonade
Sparkling water
Cucumber water
Mango juice

Some light foods to serve include:

Benedictine sandwiches
Guacamole with tortilla chips
Fresh fruit and veggies (extra points if any of it comes from your garden!)

Eliminate Any Pest Problems

Do you have standing water in your backyard that mosquitoes use as a breeding ground? Itchy bites do not make a good impression.

Do you have an army of ants sneaking into your kitchen to steal food? No one wants to buy that problem.

If you have any pest problems, hire a professional exterminator to eliminate the bugs. Then, get a remediator to fix any aspects of your property that attract pests (such as improving drainage to prevent standing water).