The power plant technician was in a panic. His house had been on the market for several months without a single offer coming in. With his long-planned vacation trip less than two months away, he worried that his absence would only prolong the selling process.
But heeding the advice of his sister, Karen Dancsec, a real estate broker in another city, he decided to make the trip anyway. After more than a dozen years in the home-selling business, she was well aware that the absence of an owner can sometimes speed the sale of a property.
Indeed, no sooner had the technician left town than he got a call from his listing agent announcing that a strong offer had come in.
Within hours, he received the contract by fax and signed off–spending the rest of his vacation in breezy relief.
“Maybe it’s just some weird fluke of nature. But I can’t tell you how many homes I’ve sold after people leave town on vacation,” says Dancsec, of Re/Max Realty. One possible explanation is that homes are usually cleaner when no one is living there, she says.
Nowadays, a home seller need not worry about staying in touch because, with fax transmissions and e-mail, communication is virtually instantaneous almost anywhere.
This means that a deal could be readily consummated, even if you’re touring villages in India or backpacking in Bolivia.
“Go to Timbuktu and enjoy yourself. Just remember to leave your phone numbers and itinerary so that your agent can reach you quickly in case an offer comes in. Or, take along your agent’s card and check in daily,” Dancsec says.
Here are several other pointers for those preparing for a summertime home sale:
– Recognize that listing agents like summer vacations, too.
Luanne Warner, a five-year agent for an independent realty firm, advises sellers that it’s usually unwise to pick an agent who plans to take a vacation shortly after your home is listed, the precise time when interest in the property is typically most intense.
Of course, many top-selling agents have personal assistants, some of whom are licensed themselves. Still, you’re entitled to representation by the primary agent, Warner says.
Experience is invaluable when it comes to setting strategy and negotiating. Warner says surrogates are acceptable only if you’re comfortable with them and they’ve been involved in your marketing plans from the outset.
– Stage your home to suggest free and easy summer living.
Despite busy schedules, people like to imagine themselves living in a more carefree way during the summer, Warner says. She recommends that the presentation of a home marketed during the season projects an environment appropriate to that time of year.
As it happens, she is preparing her Japanese-style contemporary house to be marketed early this summer. With its big double living-room doors that open onto a patio with an expansive view, her house is ideally configured for a June sale. To convey an indoor-outdoor feel to buyers, she’ll leave the doors open when the property is shown.
To suggest a summer patio party, she’ll set out a colorful Lucite pitcher and tumblers, decorated in primary reds and yellows.
Inside, she’ll replace reminders of winter, such as the throw blankets on her sofa, with small pillows in muted pastel hues. Bulky furnishings and her television set will be removed. On the TV table, she plans to place a few travel books, hinting at summertime vacations.
“The idea is to create the look of a romantic summer retreat,” Warner says.
– Make sure your yard is green and trim when your property is marketed.
Obviously, the grounds around your place assume added importance in the summer. You risk turning off buyers if your lawn looks scorched or your shrubbery has grown out of control.
Begin pruning in the spring, prior to your home going up for sale, and the task will be “less oppressive” in the hotter days of summer, Warner says.
Should you go on a summer vacation, be sure to hire a landscape service to tend your lawn. Your listing agent should be able to recommend a company to hire and then make certain the yard work is done as promised while you’re out of town, she says.
Don’t expect your agent to do the watering and pruning for you. “Realtors will sometimes say they’ll do it. But the work will fall to the bottom of their `to do’ list and they’ll forget,” Warner says.
– Treat your visitors as welcome guests with summer refreshments.
Chances are good that your agent may be conducting public open house events at your property. That being the case, Warner recommends that cold drinks be served to visitors. She says this will encourage them to linger longer, paying more attention to your home’s features and increasing the likelihood of a sale.
“Ice-cold bottled water is great. It’s sanitary and gives people the feeling that they’re getting a gift,” according to Warner.
Besides public open houses, she likes the use by listing agents of “brokers’ opens,” which are designed to promote properties by introducing them to other real estate professionals working in the area.
If such an event is held at your home during the summer, Warner recommends that cold drinks be accompanied by other light fare, such as sandwiches and trays of fruit.
– Time your summer sale as early as possible during the season.
Many homeowners prefer to sell and move in the summer, when the schedules of both children and adults are typically more flexible.
But Warner says the earlier in summer that you sell, the better.
“June is better than July and July is better than August,” she says. The weeks of August are often the least favorable selling period of the season, with many prospective buyers squeezing in late summer vacations at that time.
Still, if you must market your home during August, don’t despair. As Warner points out, there are always serious buyers searching for property during that month, due to late summer relocations and families rushing to move before the opening of school, whether that is in August or September.
“All in all, summer is a great time to sell,” she says.
