Clocks fall back tonight: how the early dark changes showings and curb appeal

Clocks go back one hour at 2 AM Sunday, and the shift is easy to miss until you are standing in a driveway at 5 PM in the dark. In Denver the sun sets at 4:57 PM on Nov 1 and a few minutes earlier each day through late November, so any showing after work now happens after sunset.

That changes how a home is seen. It does not change what a home is worth, but it does change what a buyer notices first. Here is how I think about it for both sides.

If you are selling

• Light the approach. Buyers arriving after work see your walkway before they see your front door. Put the porch light, path lights, and garage light on timers or dusk sensors so the home is lit when they pull up, not just when you are home. Tonight is a good night to reset any timers.
• Match your bulbs. Mixed bulb colors make rooms look patchy. Use the same warm white throughout, and replace any burned out bulbs before the first showing.
• Show it twice. Open every blind and turn on every light, in the middle of the day and again for evening showings. A lit home with open blinds looks larger from the street at dusk.
• Keep the entry clear. Rake leaves off the steps and walkway, and keep the entry dry and safe. A buyer who feels safe at the door is more relaxed inside.
• Photograph in daylight. Listing photos still look best taken in full daylight, and daylight hours are shorter now, so book the photographer early in the week.

If you are buying

• Tour in daylight when you can, and drive by again after dark. You will see how well lit the street is and how the block feels at 6 PM, which is when many people are actually home.
• Ask for the evening visit. If a home you like only shows in the dark, ask to come back by day. Light changes how a room feels more than any listing photo will.

One note about winter listings

You may hear that winter is a bad time to list. The reality depends on your timeline, your price, and how the home shows, and I would rather check current Central Park, Denver, CO activity with you than repeat a rule of thumb. If you are weighing a move, you can start with the village guides and the homes for sale search.

Sunset times are from timeanddate.com for Denver.