Well, we are leaving Summer and Autumn is just around the corner. After the uncertainty of the last few months, with Covid19 and the looming of Brexit, it has certainly been an unpredictable Summer period in the housing market, but I am pleased to be able to say that August – a normally quiet month in French property sales (French holiday period, school holidays etc) – has brought a bumper sales period.
As predicted, many city dwellers (of multiple nationalities) are now looking for properties either in the countryside, or with some private outdoor space; working from home has proven an incentive for other buyers to make the move to more tranquil areas; the Brexit deadline for applications for the Carte de Séjour for residents who have purchased before 31st December has boosted numbers of potential buyers and sales, despite the complications of quarantining upon return to the UK
The market is buoyant and we can but hope this continues throughout the Autumn months, but to maximise your chances of doing so, it is imperative to advertise with as wide an international diffusion as possible, both privately and using agency services; plus revisit the presentation of your property – physically and by reviewing photographs.
This is a link to the Notaire’s website with an article about the sales figures and their predictions for September 2020
https://www.notaires.fr/en/housing-tax-system/french-property-market/french-property-market-analysis
Ten Tips to Help you Sell your Property this Autumn
1. Sounds simple, but a late summer ‘Spring clean’ can boost the appearance of your property and is the best place to start leaving your property ready for Autumn viewings and looking like it did in the advertising photographs. A good tidy-up and clean will stand you in good stead for photographs and viewings.
2. Outdoors-indoors is a great life and it is a simply wonderful to take advantage of it during the summer months….but it can leave interior floors a bit messy. Carpets may need a professional clean (or hire a carpet cleaner) and tiled, or wood floors may need a buff. Curtains, upholstery, cushions/covers may need a wash and freshen.
3. Consider introducing autumn colours such as, golds, terracotta and chocolates, maybe painting walls, or adding decorative accents, or introducing some soft furnishings to. Choose small changes with big impact to keep within budget. e.g. instead of decorating a whole room, paint one wall, or change cushion covers.
4. Nights will begin to draw in earlier now. If possible, try to arrange viewings with potential purchasers during daylight hours. That way your viewers will see your property in all of its naturally-lit glory.
5. If arranging viewing during daylight hours isn’t an option due to other commitments, change the lightbulbs. New lightbulbs will give out more light, helping your viewers to appreciate every corner of your property. Natural daylight bulbs are good for rooms with big windows whilst softer, gold tones work well to evoke a cosy atmosphere. Think about what feelings you want your viewers to have in each room; spacious, cosy or bright, and select your bulbs for each room accordingly. You can always change them back to energy saving bulbs when the viewers leave (if you have to buy non-energy saving bulbs to achieve the right atmosphere). Remember to switch your lights on well in advance of viewers arriving, in case they are early, but also, energy saving bulbs need time to shine!
6. This is not the time to overlook the garden or exterior of your property!
Properties with outdoor space are highly sought-after so, if you have a garden, now’s the time to make the most of it. Outdoors and indoors, remove the summer equipment, which can look a bit sad in sometimes turbulent Autumn weather. Put the trampoline, goal posts, Wendy house and sandpit away, or to one side to create a distinctive children and adults’ area so that potential buyers who do not have children can imagine the garden the way they’d like to have it. Make the most of the late-summer sun and to create a haven that you can show-off to buyers. Stash away the picnic gear, flip flops and sun hats, store away sun loungers and hammocks.
Close down the pool, keeping the pool terrace free of debris and weeds, weed parking areas, cut the grass, clear gutters to make sure the Autumn rains don’t have chance to cause damage and tidy gardens, removing tired plants and Autumn debris and consider planting some late flowering plants, to add some colour and create a welcoming entrance to your property. Cover up the barbeque, but make the most of the last rays of sunshine by placing a bench, or table and chairs where the sun hits in the morning or late afternoon, showing potential buyers they can enjoy an outdoor morning coffee, or afternoon glass of something tempting throughout the Autumn months.
Refresh exterior paint and varnish work on gates, doors and shutters, to protect them against the less agreeable weather and present your property as well maintained and cared for, from the moment the potential buyer sees it.
7. If you live in an apartment and have a communal garden, remember that, even if the reality is that you never use it, most buyers will still want to imagine that they can. It can be worth spending a bit of time, even borrowing a strimmer and a lawn mower, to get the garden looking as good as it can before buyers come around: in my experience, no matter how small, no matter how overgrown and no matter whether your apartment is on the top floor, nearly all buyers will want to look at outdoor communal areas.
8. If you are closing your holiday home following the summer and it’s going to be locked weeks/months, it can sometimes take on a musty or damp odour. Ventilate the property well before viewers come round – ask a friend, or pay a professional house maintenance company to do this for you and keep your closed property clean fresh and tidy in anticipation of last minute viewing requests.
9. Damp can begin to become a problem for older buildings at this time of year, particularly if you dry your clothes indoors, or your property is going to remain shut up for the Autumn/Winter. Even if you are permanently resident, as temperatures fall through the autumn, we all tend to open our windows less. A dehumidifier can help remove the damp air from the atmosphere. Ensure that radiators are bled before switching them back on to identify any leaks.
10. As the Autumn unfolds on there can start to be a nip in the air! Make your home welcoming and inviting for viewers by taking the chill off any rooms before they arrive. Put the radiators on a timer to heat the room up about half an hour before a viewing, or switch them on before they arrive; lite fires/log burners to create atmosphere and make your home as warm as toast to welcome viewers and help them to imagine that it as theirs!