Now that summer is in full swing, there’s never been a better time to sell your home.
Longer days give more buyers more opportunities to check out listed properties at “off” times, like after work. An evening drive-by allows these potential buyers the chance to gather initial impressions—and it can go a long way.
“Buyers want to see whether neighbors are outside walking dogs, kids are riding bikes, or people are sitting on porches. Scoping out homes during the summer nights can help them visualize what their life might be like in certain neighborhoods,” explains Dell Jeanty, real estate agent at Dell Residential in Arlington, VA.
Preparing your home for “evening lookie-loos” has everything to do with curb appeal, but perhaps not in the way home sellers typically think.
An evening caller
Evening lookie-loos are usually potential buyers who work during the day and use their evenings to scout for a new home.
“They aren’t able to always make it to weekend open houses and are interested in very specific neighborhoods. Thus, they’ll spend summer evenings walking or driving through areas where they hope to live. It allows them to window shop after work,” says Corey Wayne, licensed real estate salesperson at High Line 2 Hamptons in New York City.
John Gluch, founder and real estate agent at Gluch Group, eXp Realty in Phoenix sees this behavior often in Arizona.
“Buyers like to drive by to scout listed properties during the summer nights because 7 pm. is always cooler than 2 p.m., and the evening light changes how a home looks in comparison to a midday listing photo,” says Gluch.
Jeanty adds this is also common throughout Northern Virginia.
“I often see this in neighborhoods around Vienna, McLean, Arlington, and Great Falls, where buyers want to experience the street, traffic flow, parking, and overall feel of the neighborhood at the end of the day,” Jeanty explains.
If you’re in an urban area like New York City rather than a more suburban environment, think about what a buyer will experience when they walk past your building in the evening. This is particularly important if you’re trying to sell a property with views.
“I had a buyer in Riverdale looking at a unit with incredible western exposure. Sunset views over the Hudson River. They initially came through on an overcast Sunday morning, liked it, but weren’t sold. I told them to come back on a weekday evening after work and just stand at the windows. They did. They put in an offer that night,” says Matthew Wynter, real estate salesperson at Brown Harris Stevens in Long Island, NY.
As Wynter highlights, time of day can dramatically change a home’s appeal. The property itself didn’t change in the evening hours but the lighting, views, and atmosphere did.
How to maximize your home’s evening curb appeal
When selling your home, the goal is to make it feel warm, comfortable, and welcoming. And in the summer evening hours, this means paying special attention to what buyers can see from the street.
Fortunately, golden hour—the short period after sunrise and before sunset—makes everything look good, and that’s when a lot of buyers are driving around.
Here’s what you need to do to get your property to stand out during golden hour and later into the evening:
Upgrade landscaping
Your landscaping can ultimately make or break how these buyers perceive your home.
That’s why it’s well worth your time to make it look like a million bucks. Keep the grass mowed and edges crisp. Refresh your mulch and add plants like primroses and gardenias that look and smell particularly good this time of year.
And don’t forget to trim away any dead branches or faded flowers.
Prioritize lighting
The right lighting is essential for optimizing your home’s evening curb appeal. Overly harsh flood lighting can make your home feel more commercial than welcoming, while trendy string lights can come across more casual than polished.
“My recommendation is to focus on warm, simple lighting near entryways and subtle accent lighting to highlight landscaping. Exterior lighting should always make a home feel inviting,” says Amanda Valente, co-founder & COO at Renovation Sells in Chicago.
Clean windows
Your windows must look the part as evening sunlight can easily show off water spots and smudges. Clean them thoroughly inside and out.
Jeanty also recommends turning on interior lamps right before sunset.
“Glowing windows make a home feel more welcoming and emotionally appealing to buyers driving by,” he explains.
Swap out opaque curtains
If you have opaque curtains, consider swapping them with sheer ones, even if it’s temporary. This gives buyers a sneak peek of what’s inside.
“It feels cozy to ‘see’ the inside of a house,” says Mitch Coluzzi, head of construction at SoldFast in Des Moines, IA.
Be strategic about sunset open houses
The best time to schedule a sunset open house is 90 minutes before it gets dark. You’ll catch both the “after-work” and sunset crowd.
“This also ensures buyers arrive when the lighting is at its best and stay into the evening,” says Gluch.
If you want to go the extra mile, serve light summer beverages like ice tea and lemonade.
