Selling your home can be emotional in so many different ways. You will feel sad at times, like you are leaving a big part of yourself behind. You will feel excited for the future and all the promise it brings. And you will feel stressed. Very stressed. Getting your home into shape to sell is no easy task, but there are many reasons you need to put effort into making it look nice. First, you want a solid return on investment (ROI). Second, you don’t want your house to sit on the market for too long. Third, you want to make sure you have everything you plan to bring with you.
So, how can you present your house as perfectly as possible? Well, you need to know the three most desired goals that home buyers have today. They are privacy, family needs, and asset accumulation. Let’s walk through some great techniques to make your house fit all of those desires.
Privacy
One thing you will inevitably hear a lot about when selling your home is that you need to landscape your yard. This is so commonly discussed due to the fact that 90% of real estate agents recommend it to sellers. It is nice to have a pretty yard, but landscaping can also be done to manifest a deeper sense of privacy.
If you live on a busier street or have very little room between you and your neighbor’s house, don’t worry. There are a number of ways to seclude your home from the outside world. One example is to plant large hedges along your property line. Natural fences can come in all shapes and sizes. Trees, shrubs, vegetable gardens, and everything in between can work wonders.
While hiring a professional company to do this is typically the easiest way to go about it, you might like landscaping. If it interests you, remember to get LED grow lights for the plants you need to start indoors. They are 100% recyclable and have an incredibly long life.
Family Needs
Landscaping certainly can make a big difference where privacy is concerned, but that isn’t the only thing home buyers are looking for these days. Family needs could mean a lot of different things to different people. Whether it is the quality of the local school district or the walkability of the neighborhood, you won’t be able to change those factors. So, lets instead look at what you can change. Here are the most commonly requested home amenities.
- A Laundry Room
Beyond a simple washer and dryer, 92% of people want a designated room in which to do their laundry. This is a bigger project if your home doesn’t already have such a room, but it is within the realm of possibility for most homes. - Exterior Lighting
You will either need a professional to install lighting on the side of your house, or you will need to learn how to do it yourself. Most exterior lighting can be installed with a drill, but more complex features might, like over 50% of American products, require welding. - Energy Efficiencies
Heating and cooling are among the biggest recurring expenses anyone will have to deal with when buying a home. Updating your windows and appliances so your home uses less electricity and you will almost certainly see the value rise.
Of course, these are just the beginning of what could be considered family needs. Now, let’s look at what it takes to address the final buyer goal.
Asset Accumulation
How can a seller make the buyer feel as if they are going to be well suited for accumulating assets? This is a tricky question. It generally isn’t a seller’s job to be worried about the buyer’s financial future, but when you think about it, you will find that there is some logic to the consideration. Making a customer feel as if they are getting a good deal is an art, one you need to study to maximize.
One way to accomplish this is by never overpricing your home. It is tempting to overvalue the effort you put into your renovations, but calm down. Overpricing your home will likely lead to it staying on the market for far too long. Remember, you want a quick, decently priced sale. Getting greedy will make buyers feel like they can’t capitalize on this property, thus losing the opportunity for asset accumulation. You must rigorously study the market before pricing.
Selling your home in harmony with these three essential buyers goals is no easy feat. You might not be able to accomplish all three at the same time, and there might be external factors preventing people from buying your home. But if you take each into consideration, you will have a better chance at getting the ROI you desire.