The fall real estate season is the second-most popular time to sell and purchase a home.

People have time to shop for properties and want to find something quickly so they can celebrate the holidays in their awesome new home. Since mortgage interest rates are historically low, buyers are taking advantage of this and coming out in droves. I’ve been getting more sign calls in the last two weeks than I did in July and August combined.

Here are some tips to help you sell your home during autumn.

1. Create curb appeal – The most-popular autumn flowers are chrysanthemums, and they bloom for a long time. Marigolds are another good idea for color in the fall. Plant them in pots, put them on the porch,and accent them with pumpkins. With the additional rainfall lawns are looking green so make sure to edge them. Clean all the exterior windows, and the inside and outside of your gutters. Clean out the screens and cobwebs around the front and back doors. Touch up the paint around the windows, replace the front door matt and make sure exterior lights are working.

2. Check the major areas in your home – Check out your crawl space. This is the time of year when unwanted guests start to look for a winter home. Not only are you looking for rodents, but you also want to determine if there’s any standing water or other moisture issues you may need to resolve. The other area you need to evaluate is your attic space. You will want to see if there is any concerns with insulation, potential roof leaks and yes rodents. Lastly, have your furnace inspected and serviced.

3. Patience and flexibility – Since daylight is getting shorter you will need to exercise a higher degree of flexibility when buyers want to see your home.

Be patient when your broker kicks you out of the house to host a four-hour open house over the weekend. Homes during the fall selling season have an average market time of 43 days in comparison to 32 during the spring market.

4. Don’t over do it – The temptation is so strong that the Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas decorations fill every nook and cranny inside and out. Instead, keep it simple. Also, dial it back a bit on the seasonal aromas.

If you follow those tips real estate can be fun and exciting in the fall, and profitable as well.

Todd Fahlman is a local real estate agent. His column runs monthly.