Spring Kicks Off Busy Time For Home Improvement, Real Estate In Peekskill-Cortlandt

PEEKSKILL, NY — Though it may not feel like it with a fresh coat of snow on the ground, the start of the spring season is just over a week away, and the clocks aren’t the only ones springing forward.

Many homeowners are getting a jump start on their home improvement projects, as springtime is generally the most popular time for such undertakings. One reason why is because the spring also happens to mark the unofficial kickoff to the busiest time of year for buying and selling real estate, and those putting their homes on the market are looking to put their (houses’) best faces forward.

“Home sellers are starting to spruce up inside and out, and home buyers – especially those with school-age children – are looking to purchase and close on properties in the summer so the school year won’t be interrupted,” said Mary Prenon, director of communications for Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors.

In addition to reasons of practicality, it seems as though the entire real estate market, both buyers and sellers, are inspired by the change in seasons to also make changes in their lives.

“Spring is all about new beginnings,” said Victoria Beach, a realtor with Gardiner-based Colucci Shand Realty. “It really is the perfect time for people to initiate transitions in their life, whether they are first-time buyers, downsizing or relocating. Also, the warmer temperatures and longer days make home shopping more pleasant.”

Outside the house, it’s not uncommon for sellers to work with landscaping companies to “upgrade plantings, fencing and patios,” said Prenon.

Citing the importance of first impressions, Beach said she encourages home sellers “to tidy up yards and gardens. Putting a fresh coat of paint on exterior stairs, or a bright cheerful front door color, can be really inviting.”

Prenon and Beach concur that when it comes to the inside of the house, it’s all about decluttering.

“Homebuyers really want to ‘see’ the house and be able to picture themselves in it,” said Beach. “Too many personal effects or knickknacks can really distract from their appreciation of a home.” Therefore, she noted, spring can also be the perfect time of year for a yard sale.

Prenon offered more ideas for freshening up interiors, including “paint, new curtains or blinds, decorative pillows and updated bedding.” Some home sellers, she added, often work with professionals who “stage” the home “to make their property more eye-appealing in photos and showings.”