Happy leap day!  I’m excited because this means that tomorrow is the first day of March and spring is arriving soon!  Along with more sunshine and warmer weather, the beginning of spring typically ushers in a flurry of activity for the spring housing market.  If you are a buyer or seller who is ready to make a move, here are some tips for you!

Tips for Buyers in the Spring Housing Market

Be Pre-Approved Before Looking at Homes  Gathering up all the paperwork that is required for a pre-approval letter from a mortgage company can take some time.  Sometimes you can’t find a previous year’s tax return or document from a bank and you have to order them.  In an active market, it’s important to be ready to make an offer when you find the home for you.  Waiting while you get pre-approved may mean you miss out on the home.

Have Clarity about What You Need  When inventory increases in the spring, it’s easy to get distracted by all the new possibilities on the market.  Make sure that you have a clear vision of what you need in a home, what you want, and what you can do without.  For example, you might need a separate home office space, but want a finished basement.  A home with the office space would win over one with a finished basement but no office.  

Never Skip an Inspection  During the craziness after the pandemic, I saw many buyers say no to a home inspection just to get the house.  While the reward of beating out other competitive offers might feel great in that instant, in the long term, skipping a home inspection means that you accept the house as it is.  There could be issues with a home that you don’t immediately see while walking around, like water in a crawl space, that could cost you a lot of money to repair.  A home inspection allows buyers to get a deeper understanding about the condition of the home and negotiate repairs with the buyers; don’t skip it.

Tips for Sellers

Prep Your Home  The spring market is typically a faster paced market.  As a seller this means that you can expect more showings at your market value priced home and less time in between to tidy up.  Put in effort ahead of listing your home decluttering spaces and deep cleaning rooms.  This way all the big projects will be completed by the time you start scheduling showings and all you’ll have to do is maintenance cleaning.

Up the Curb Appeal  After winter, the outdoor areas in your home may need a little love.  Make sure to clean up any debris that has accumulated over the colder months.  Clean up flower beds.  You can create a welcoming front door with a few potted plants (fake or real), new welcome mat, or a small seating area  on the front porch.

Accurate Pricing  Just because it is a busier time of year doesn’t mean that buyers will be willing to overpay for a home.  Having a home priced accurately is key to getting it sold.  Your REALTOR® (hey, I know an awesome one!) will give you a listing price based on the comparable homes in your neighborhood, market activity, and your own selling goals.

Say Yes to Showing Requests  In the internet age, buyers start their searches online, so if someone wants to make the effort to see your home in person, then they are interested.  Don’t turn buyers away by saying no to showings.  If there is a specific time you need to block off or a family member is suddenly sick and you need to cancel a showing, talk with your REALTOR®.  Your agent can help reschedule the showings.

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