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Turning Over a New Leaf: Three Ways to Get Your Home Ready For Fall 

Considering putting your home on the market this fall or just looking for ways to brighten your home during shorter days? From fall colors to outdoor lighting to basic home maintenance, you won’t be-leaf the difference that little changes will make!

1. Lighten Up and Brighten Up Your Landscape

Show off your home during the autumn months with bright flowers for daytime visitors and romantic lighting for an inviting evening open house or soiree. The best perennial flowers for adding fall color to your yard include chrysanthemums, pansies, violas, dianthus, sweet alyssum, and snapdragons. Planted in full sun in fall beds or containers and needing plenty of water, these blooms will add lasting color to your yard. Snapdragons, in particular, thrive in temperatures between 40-70 degrees fahrenheit and produce more blooms when the weather is cold. While Chrysanthemums offer fun fall colors of red, orange and yellow for your autumn centerpieces. 

For a warm evening welcome, solar-powered walkway lighting or white string lights dangled from trees, pergolas, and fences can create a magical effect. For the craft lovers, fairy light lanterns can be hung along pathways, used as centerpieces for indoor and outdoor gatherings, or strung above outdoor seating areas.

2. Clear and Repair Your Home’s Exterior

The time to prepare for wet weather is before the rains begin. Check your roof for loose tiles or potential problems and, if you have a chimney, make sure it’s clear. Once winter hits, roofers will be in high demand, so book inspections while the weather is hot! Clear and clean rain gutters regularly throughout the fall, particularly if you have trees losing their leaves or children whose tennis balls and other toys disappear onto the roof. Assuring your drains are clear and properly grated or covered will minimize future flooding. Cutting back bushes from around your walls, and adjusting sprinklers can prevent over-soaking the ground and the growth of moss on your home and hardscape. 

3. Get Cozy

Shorter days means a lot more time spent at home enjoying sports, movies, and books - or for the home seller, having to do showings in the evenings. Make the most of it for yourself and for prospective buyers by adding splashes of color and texture in the form of fluffy blankets and throw pillows. Take inventory of your bedding and linens and treat yourself to new ones if needed - a fresh set of towels and bright new comforter can give an updated look to any bedroom and bath. Add to your interior’s warm and welcoming ambiance with candles, autumn flowers, and decorative lighting. Stock indoor and outdoor wood-burning fireplaces with wood and consider lighting the fire for pictures and open houses to add an inviting and romantic touch to your home.

Getting ready to sell and not sure where to begin? I can help you prioritize and put you in touch with my network of contractors to get you started. Call me today for a home consultation to discuss preparation and pricing your home for sale.