When a homeowner knows they want to sell their home, they may spend a lot of time thinking about when the right time to sell is. Summer is a popular time for buying and selling, especially for homeowners who are parents because moving house during the summer means their children's education won't be disturbed by the move. Homeowners who are planning to sell during summer may be looking for ways to help their home stand out in buyers' eyes. Here are a few strategies that Tennessee homeowners can use to help sell their home.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Top Tips for Selling a Home in Summer

• Summer attracts buyers who may not be serious; vet offers for signs of commitment
• Landscaping quality is more obvious in summer; ensure curb appeal
• Comfortable temperature for home showings is vital
• Take advantage of longer days and natural sunlight
• Stage outdoor areas; buyers have outdoor entertainment on the mind
• Plan showing schedules strategically; avoid the hottest times of day if possible
• Pests are more active in summer; stay on top of them

Understand the Summer Market

Summer is the peak selling season in Tennessee, but knowing exactly when to put your home on the market can maximize your profit. Late spring to early summer—think April to June—represents the prime time to sell. Families want to move between school years and ensure they’re settled in their new homes when the next academic year begins. While you might face stiff competition when it comes to selling, more buyers are looking. Often, people want to line up their new home early in the season before going on vacation. Plus, you’ll have more options for a new home, too.

Summer might also attract some less-committed buyers who are simply shopping around. You don’t want to waste your time with buyers who aren’t truly interested in purchasing. Have your agent ask interested buyers for mortgage preapproval before scheduling showings. Doing so can weed out people who are just casually looking at what’s on the market.

On the plus side, if you have open houses, the presence of these casual browsers increases the sense of competition for any serious buyers who show up. They also provide extra eyes on your property for potential feedback and word-of-mouth marketing.

Maintain the Home's Curb Appeal

Nobody's judging your landscaping when it's winter and everybody's lawn is either brown or covered in snow. But in summer, it's obvious when you've put in effort—and when you haven't.

Buyers base their first impression on how a home looks from the exterior. Summer is a fantastic time for curb appeal. You can get great results by adding bright, seasonal flowers, such as irises and lantanas, to add color to your property.

But on the flip side, the grass growing fast and getting greener means that it's obvious when you have dead spots or have been neglecting your mowing.

When selling, it can be easy to get bogged down by all the expectations and never-ending to-do lists. However, homeowners need to do whatever they can to ensure they continue to do their regular lawn maintenance, no matter how busy they get.

Lawn care is tricky in Tennessee because we're in a transition zone. The care your lawn requires to look good during summer will depend heavily on the specific type of grass you have.

One more tip: if you're planning to paint your home before you sell, check the instructions for temperatures. Beyond certain surface temperatures, house paint dries too fast and adheres poorly—and the surface temperature can be even higher than the air temperature. If you're planning to paint during a hot spell, buy or borrow an infrared thermometer to check.

Keep the Home's Temperature Comfortable

Tennessee summers can get hot and uncomfortable. Many people try to save money on their power bills by turning off their air conditioning during the day—but that's not a great option when you're showing your home to buyers.

When having guests over for home showings, the homeowner should prepare their home by making sure that the temperature is comfortable. When the home is more comfortable to be in, guests feel like they can take their time and look at everything at their own pace. When guests are sweating and uncomfortable, they may want to get in and out of the home as soon as possible.

With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that your home’s HVAC system is running well throughout the season. Schedule some preventive HVAC maintenance before you put your home on the market to optimize the HVAC. An uncomfortably warm home may deter some buyers—they'll suspect there's a problem with the air conditioning, and a new HVAC system typically starts at $5,000.

Use Natural Light

If summer has one thing, it's definitely sunshine. Take advantage of the longer days and bright sun by bringing that natural light into the home. Artificial light from lamps and ceiling lights can make homes feel more dreary than natural light does, so homeowners should take the time to open their drapes and pull up the blinds to let the sunlight in.

Stage Outdoor Areas

When a homeowner sells during the summer, they can use the warm weather to their advantage. If the home has a patio, deck, or other outdoor recreation area, homeowners should stage it to make it inviting to buyers. During the summer months, people love spending time outside, and staging a patio can give buyers ideas for how they can use the space, whether it's for a backyard barbecue or having pool parties with their friends.

Having outdoor spaces staged can also give buyers a better idea of how large the space is. When unfurnished, any sort of room or space like a patio will seem a lot smaller than it actually is, and that sort of inaccuracy can dissuade buyers who want to be able to host a lot of people.

When you're staging your home in summer, you typically want lighter, airier colors and fabrics. This contributes to a sense of coolness. Carry over the aesthetic choices into your interior staging.

Plan Showings at the Right Time

When you’re scheduling showings and open houses, avoid the afternoons—the hottest time of the day. Morning or evening showings will help ensure that the house is comfortably cool for potential buyers. Make your showing or open house even more inviting by offering some cold refreshments for your potential buyers.

Also remember that kids don't have school during the summer, and that affects both buyers and sellers. Buyers are more likely to bring kids during weekday showings. If you're selling with kids, your house might be harder to keep clean when they're home all day, and you’ll have to take the family somewhere during showings. So, be prepared for potential showings by picking up the house every day and having a plan for where to take the kids when a potential buyer wants to tour your home.

Keep Summer Pests Away

Tennessee summers can be a popular time for pests, from mosquitoes and fleas to spiders and ants. Schedule pest control before you put your home on the market to keep the bugs away. You want your buyers to remember how spacious the backyard was, not how they had to keep swatting mosquitoes while looking at it.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Succeed in Your Summer Home Sale

Summer brings a lot of new options for selling that homeowners don't really get in other seasons—just ask your Nashville real estate agent! There are a lot of different ways to help a home stand out during summer, and homeowners should take advantage of all of them.