How to Sell Your House Fast in Snowy Syracuse: Beat the Spring Rush
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Garrett Mack Contributing AuthorCloseGarrett Mack Contributing Author
Garrett Mack is an academic and creative writer who specializes in synthesizing complex, dry information into clear, compelling content.
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.
If you’re selling a house in Syracuse, NY, you might feel like the market’s not on your side. In a town of less than 150,000 with a claim to fame as the snowiest city in the country, a small buyer pool can cause a lot of anxiety. Match that with population statistics that show Syracuse has only grown smaller since 1950, and you start to worry.
But as one of the best college towns in America, Syracuse attracts more interest than population numbers alone make it look. One of Syracuse’s top-selling agents, Joseph Nastri reports an interesting upswing in Ph.D. students who purchase homes upon arrival. They know they’ll be in school so long, they’ll have plenty of time to pay it off and sell again by the time they leave.
Syracuse also serves primarily two-income families who are upgrading from their first home and, on the flipside, downsizers. Plus, with homes going at a median price at a modest $85,300, the market draws buyers who want an affordable gem, and sellers can cash in on 13.8% price appreciation over the past decade.
But to do so, you’ll need to make your house the most attractive one on the block and appeal to exactly what local home shoppers like.
Here’s how!
Beat the spring seller rush in Syracuse: List in the late winter
Look, it sounds weird to suggest a winter listing of any kind. Who’s got time to shop for homes when there’s 3 feet of snow on the ground and the streets are so frozen you can ice-skate to work? Won’t Syracuse be a ghost town?
But hear us out: Plants aren’t the only things that come to life in the spring in Syracuse. The local real estate market stirs from its hibernation, too. Dozens of new listings pop up all across the market, which can result in picky buyers and stiff competition for you as a seller.
HomeLight historical transaction data shows that you can get a 9% speed boost on selling your house in Syracuse if you close in July. Since homes typically take around 4 months to close, a March listing may be your best bet. The idea is that before the spring rush comes around, your listing is already up with perfect photos and all the remodeling you’re gonna do wrapped up. That way, you’ll already be there when the late-bloomers show up to the party.
Make your Syracuse home blend into its natural environment
If we look at what the most popular listings in Syracuse look like, what we’ll find is that the “top-rated” homes in Syracuse are the ones that seem to coexist with the surrounding nature.
For some examples, we’re gonna look at some recent features on Syracuse.com’s House of the Week:
These homes represent the “best” listings available in Syracuse at the time they’re posted, meaning they set the tone for what you’re up against. Houses of the Week are generally Colonial, Federal, or Classic styles with subtle yet effective modern twists. As we can see from looking at the past several winners, homes considered newsworthy typically share a few common traits that, if your home doesn’t have them, are actually quick and affordable updates.
1. Plant shrubs, flowers, and small trees close to your home to give it that ‘nestled-in-the-woods’ look.
The home Syracuse.com featured on July 19, 2019 shows how you can retrofit a home in an open space with shrubbery, grasses, and other ground covers with inexpensive plants.
Some affordable options include Knockout Roses, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, and Adam’s Needle.
2. If you’ve got natural hardwood: Spruce. It. Up.
Anything with a cabin or cottage-like feel to it is bound to soar in the Syracuse market. After all, the best part about living in the heart of Upstate is that from Baltimore Woods to the Three Rivers area, pristine nature is right at your doorstep.
Those wooden mantels, indoor columns, or hardwood floors aren’t as prone to rot or splintering as your decks, porches, or patios will be. But re-staining is something each of these features could use, when you’re getting ready to stage.
Restaining is easy. Here’s some quick tips, a la DIY Network:
- Pick up some stain in your preferred color from your local hardware store.
- Choose a discrete spot to test the stain. If it looks blotchy, consider applying some wood conditioner first.
- Apply evenly with gentle strokes of the brush, then after a few minutes, go over with a cloth to wipe off the excess.
- Let it dry overnight, then you’re good to go!
3. Don’t write off all renovations, but be careful with your spending.
If you’re comfortable with some bigger investments, you’ll definitely want to take a look at this report on ROI for various home upgrades in Syracuse.
One of the best ROI’s in 2019 comes from wooden garage door coverings. Statistics show that homes who installed these prior to selling recouped 229.4% of the initial investment. It makes sense, too, now that we know Syracuse loves homes that incorporate nature.
As for other ideas, well…the numbers show that there aren’t that many other good ideas. In fact, the only other renovation from the Cost vs. Value 2019 report with a positive ROI for Syracuse is “Manufactured Stone Veneer.” Another major pitfall to avoid is the heated driveway, which is both costly to install and costly to run.
Remember these classic tips to sell your Syracuse home fast
Buyers want to see the inside of your home meet contemporary decor standards, and in Syracuse, this is especially important. Buyers in the area have no time to lose, whether they be graduate students moving in for their Ph.D. programs or two-income families purchasing their first move-up after outgrowing their old apartment.
Keep these tips in mind when staging the interior:
- Take down those mid-20th-century drapes.
- Granite countertops, if you got ‘em, should be cleared away to show off the stone.
- Mirrors, windows, stainless steel, and any other metallic or glass surfaces need to be absolutely, 100% fingerprint-free.
Work with a top-notch real estate pro to sell your Syracuse home fast
It pays to be picky with your agent selection in Syracuse. Top agents in the area sell homes up to 48.73 days faster than the average sale time (not to mention they’ll make you on average 5.7% more on your listing than the typical Average Joe agent).
Plus there’s just nothing like having an on-site professional with years of experience selling homes all over Onondaga County on your side.
HomeLight connects you with agents who not only live in your area, but who specialize in selling in your type of property, your price range, and your timeframe. If you’re looking to sell your Syracuse house fast, HomeLight can find you the agent who can help.
Header Image Source: (David Darling/ Shutterstock)