ABOVE: From left: Tina Jette, Sherri Bicknase, Suzi Korsmo and Wendy Emler of Century 21 Northland Realty talked about what people should do to prepare to put their home on the market this spring.

FAIRMONT– The Spring season is often the time people get serious about making a move. Several realtors at Century 21 Northland Realty shared some things, both big and small, that can be done to get your home ready to put on the market.

“Things start ramping up in the spring,” said Wendy Emler.

Sherri Bicknase agreed and said that while they do sell homes in the winter, the best time to list a home is in the spring.

“People in our neck of the woods, unless it’s for a job or you’re moving, no one really wants to move in the winter unless you have to,” Emler added.

While most agree spring is the best time, Tina Jette pointed out that it can ebb and flow leading into summer. She said May and June can be slower as there are often graduation parties and weddings but by late summer it picks back up before the school year starts. The fall can see another surge before winter truly hits.

As for where the housing market is currently at, Jette said that higher price point homes have been selling quickly and some of the more affordable homes, under $200,000, have been selling, but those in the middle price range have been sitting.

“This time of year, people might think, ‘well I know more is going to come on (the market), so I’ll have more choices.’ Unless all boxes are clicked, they’ll wait which is why some of these are sitting a bit,” Emler said.

With that said, now that it is truly spring, those who are serious about selling can take a few extra steps to make sure their home is appealing to a potential buyer.

Realtors in this area will make a suggestion of what a seller can do to get their house ready, but they do not stage a home like many TV shows depict.

“Decluttering is a big thing. Cleaning does wonders,” Emler said.

Jette added, “I always tell my sellers, if you’ve ever stayed in an Airbnb or VRBO, that’s kind of how you want your house to be when a buyer walks in. You want them to ask, ‘does somebody live here?'”

Along with making sure the house is clean, Bicknase said you should make sure it also smells good.

Suzi Korsmo said that another thing that should be focused on, especially in the spring, is curb appeal.

“You yard is a big thing,” Emler said. “Pick up sticks, clean up your landscaping.”

Korsmo added, “Put some flowers out, put a wreath on your front door. Make it pretty.”

As for actual upgrades, Emler said it depends on the condition of the house. She said a lot of times people looking for a home will have the understanding that they can paint the walls any color they want.

“Sometimes we’ll suggest they put in new carpet or something,” she said.

Jette added if it’s pink shag carpet, it should probably be replaced but if it’s a basic brown it could be okay.

“A lot of it depends on your price range, too,” Bicknase said. “If you want top dollar for it, then you probably want to go through and fix things.”

Jette said that while for the past decade it’s been a seller’s market, that’s changing now in the past year.

“Now we’re seeing that sellers have to do a little more to get their house sold. We’re not seeing the multiple offers we were before,” she said.

Bicknase said big things should be addressed before putting your house on the market which includes making sure the roof, furnace and water heater are in good condition.

“Stuff like that, general maintenance, won’t necessarily boost your house a ton but will help it sell,” Emler said.

As for fixes that will increase the value, it was agreed that paying extra attention to the bathroom and kitchen will go a long way.

*Editor’s Note: This article ran in the Sentinel’s Spring Home Improvement section on March 26, 2026.