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Summertime is the busiest season of the year when it comes to buying and selling Orlando real estate with Spring coming in at a close 2nd place. Most families prefer to move when their kids are on Summer break so they don’t interrupt the school year. Real estate savvy homeowners that want to sell, will usually wait until the end of Spring before putting their home on the market. They know those homebuyers will be out in large numbers scrambling to try and get their families moved into a new home before the school year starts.

Buyers’ competition can get pretty fierce once the Summer has begun but there are a few steps you can take to avoid the home buyers rush.

• Get your financing in order. It’s important that you are pre-approved for a loan before you go house hunting. This way you’ll know exactly how much you can afford to pay for a house. It also shows sellers that you’re serious about buying.
• Hire an experienced Orlando real estate agent before summer arrives. Interview two or three buyer agents and once you choose one inform him or her exactly what you’re looking for.
• Be ready to pull the trigger. Your Realtor should be showing you listings as soon as they hit the market. Don’t wait! if it looks appealing to you, go see it and bring a contract with you just in case.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you hate the layout or the location, you should probably keep looking but if you’re turned off by the ugly carpets and tacky paint job, don’t be! Painting and replacing carpet is relatively cheap to do so just try to imagine the house as it would look using your colors.
• Let your Orlando Realtor do their job and listen to their advice when it comes to how much you should offer on a house, especially in a seller’s market. Don’t risk losing the house of your dreams because you tried to get an allowance to change the carpets. You’ll regret it!

Getting started early and avoiding the rush is key to giving yourself the best chance at finding the right house for you and your family. If you’re looking to buy a house in Orlando, be sure to use our FREE Home search tool and with just a few clicks, you’ll be searching the MLS just like a pro from your own home.

Do you want to sell your Orlando home for top dollar… fast? Why not consult with an Orlando listing specialist? By speaking to a listing specialist in your area you can find out what makes a property sell for the highest amount and what you can do to your home to get it ready for the market. Just a year ago, homes in Orlando were selling faster than they were being listed. Now, in some cases, homeowners are having to go the extra mile and make some improvements before they can get their home sold for top dollar.

No homeowner will want to spend a small fortune in getting their home ready for sale. They can, however, do some low-cost improvements that can potentially make a huge difference in getting top dollar from an interested buyer.

Start with a good cleaning and de-cluttering. By getting rid of bulky furniture and making every surface in your house spotless, you’ll automatically increase your home’s overall appearance. Too much furniture and personal items around the house can make it look small and crowded. Move some furniture into the garage or storage and clean as you’ve never cleaned before. Don’t be surprised if you change your mind about selling once you’ve cleaned and de-cluttered. Remember, less is more when you want the house to appear larger.

New paint and carpet. Giving your house a fresh coat of paint and replacing that wore out carpeting can give your home that “brand new” feel and smell. Be sure to stay neutral with the colors, I would recommend white or off-white for the paint and a light brown on the carpet. Just because you like lime green walls, it doesn’t mean that everyone else will.

Enhance your curb appeal. As the old saying goes “You only get one chance to make a first impression”. This is especially true when it comes to Orlando real estate. The outside of your home is the first thing a potential buyer sees when they pull into the driveway. The whole idea here is to make it look good enough for the buyers to want to go inside and keep looking. Make sure your yard is kept trimmed and looking good. Planting some colorful flowers close to the front door will give the front of the house a splash of extra color as well.

I would never suggest doing any major upgrading like building a pool or adding an extra bathroom because there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a return on your investment and chances are that you won’t.

Being close to good schools, shopping, and attractions as well as being in a low crime area will all help attract more buyers. Don’t worry if this isn’t the case with your home because these are things you can’t change anyway.