Unlike the weather, sales are hotting up for autumn

Dust off the cobwebs to attract a buyer, says Kirsty Mcluckie

Autumn is a busy time for the housing market and in recent years it seems as if more homeowners than ever are choosing to put their properties on the market in September and October.

Estate agents are reporting that the summer lull, which this year was exacerbated by the Brexit vote, created something of a backlog in home sales but the market is now hotting up again.

Spring is usually seen as the best time to buy and sell for lots of different reasons.

With an improvement in the weather, homes, and particularly gardens, are often at their best in April, May and June.

It also suits those buyers for whom the turn of the year has caused a rethink in their living arrangements and by March or April they are ready to make decisions.

Moving in spring also means that families with children can get them settled at a new school at the beginning of the school year in August or September.

Marketing your home in the summer could miss those would-be viewers who are away on holiday.

But autumn also has its advantages for selling property.

As long as they are kept tidy, with fallen leaves swept up promptly, autumn colours in the garden can frame a house beautifully.

People also see Christmas as a psychological deadline for moving house, so there is also a bit of added impetus in getting offers accepted in October or November for completion before the festive season.

And for those houses with open fires or woodburners, showing a cosy home as the nights draw in can be a selling point.

One thing that I hadn’t considered about autumn selling was pointed out to me in a press statement from an English estate agent this week.

Harrison Murray advises sellers to remember that not all the occupants of your home might be moving with you and some might make themselves objectionable to potential buyers.

The release reminded sellers that “there are lots of spiders around at this time of year, and the last thing a viewer wants is to come face to face with one in the doorway or porch”.

The firm suggests adding “clearing cobwebs” to the ‘“to do” list – along with cleaning windows and replacing outside light bulbs.

I’ve always felt that a resident house spider or two, as long as they aren’t too alarming in size, makes for a homely feel, but you don’t want to take it too far.

Cobwebs in your chandeliers aren’t a good look for anyone but Miss Havisham.

October has also been designated Home Security Month, not least because darker nights usually lead to a rise in reported thefts from homes.

It seems that many of us, literally lulled into a sense of security by the months with long hours of daylight, can fall victim to thieves through our own carelessness.

Research carried out as part of the Aviva Home: Safe and Secure? report found that four out of ten homeowners admitted to leaving windows unlocked when they are out of their homes, with nearly one in five residents confessing that they “rarely” or “never” lock theirs.

The report also suggested that most people spend less than 30 minutes researching the safety of the local area when looking for a new home – which is considerably scarier than the odd eight-legged inhabitant.