Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Wondering what potential buyers are looking for when buying a home in Summer? Before you put your house on the market, there’s a bit more than market research, freshen-up paint, and cleaning that needs to go on. Face it, selling a house during the vacation season can be challenging enough. Here are a few seasonal things many sellers may not have thought of.
How about those light fixtures? What if you lost a sale because a light that would not turn on turned off a buyer? Buy some light bulbs and make sure that any dark areas of the house is well lit. Also, since the summer sun is shining, be sure to take advantage of the best natural light sources. And for sure, you want to clean the windows and drapes where applicable. Hopefully, your house already makes use of layers of light design techniques. Ambient light, overhead fixtures, spotlights, and reading or counter lighting combined accentuate the best aspects of the home. Also, there is a psychological value to a well-lit house that escapes even the most experienced real estate agents. Those darkly lit places, the veritable unknowns viewers observe almost subliminal, have a dramatic impact.
The conventional wisdom of experts says staging a home can help it sell faster and at a better price. And optimizing to take advantage of what summer brings can also boost your effort. Here is some good advice about staging on a budget that can lessen your pain. And remember to think about curb appeal geared to the time of year you’re showing your property too. If you know your potential buyer, it won’t hurt to add some exterior touches that make them visualize living in your house. Cut the grass! Trim the hedges. And hang a wind chime on the front porch. Finally, think about the natural traffic flow of the house, and optimize areas where a summer breeze is a natural addition. What we mean is, you should present an atmosphere that makes potential buyers buy into the dream.
Chances are you will be showing your home because of a sales lead. Maybe the potential buyer came to you from an agency, but you can bet they did not only rely on a listing or word of mouth to end up viewing your house. Photos, videos, and their distribution via social media and ads lead to more conversions than you might think. That said, most sellers believe a professional photographer is a luxury. But this is far from the case if you think about the market and the competition for selling houses. Get photographs that start creating a dream at the top of the home marketing funnel. And, make sure the photos are seasonal. You don’t want a snowman on the front lawn when it is pool time. The Instagram share by Courtney Anderton of Harcourts Alliance above is all about swapping interiors seasonally and brilliant photography.
It may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many garbage disposals, water faucets, sink drains, and other fixtures tend to fail precisely when a buyer tests them. If you are not Mr. or Mrs. Fixit, hire a handyperson to go through your house and work through stuff that needs repairing or replacing. The last thing you want is for your potential buyer to think no one had taken care of the house of their dreams. A lousy light fixture will make some people conjure an electrical wiring nightmare behind every wall. The point being, you do not know what their home experiences have been, so prepare for overzealous scrutiny.
Not every seller thinks to put their home in deep freeze mode when showing potential buyers in summer. Remember, you are creating an atmosphere that helps people imagine your home being theirs. And what’s more important than being able to feel comfortable when the August sun shines down hard? I’m not just talking about making sure the AC works in your home. You need to show those buyers that if they choose, they can save money on ice cubes for the cool drinks if they want. For Spring and Summer showings, air conditioning repair or maintenance is a must, especially in hotter climate zones. Here’s some excellent ac repair advice from Florida experts. You may also consider a new ac installation to increase the value of your home.
It may seem like a foregone conclusion, but you’d be surprised how many people show their homes without so much as offering guests a cold drink of water. Why not put on the checkered tablecloths, mix up a killer potato salad, or even fire up the grill before your viewers arrive? At the very least, your outdoor space or kitchen should have a welcoming assortment of beverages, cool snacks, or even a chilled bottle of wine. Once again, you are showing the potential buyers a window into their homeownership. Why not give them a preview to build their entertaining afternoon dreams? Besides, hospitality is just good form.
When I lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I recall meeting a whole different breed of real estate brokers and agents. So, when I ran across this advice article preparing for the one you are reading, I was pleasantly surprised to hit on a tip NOBODY thinks of. Your front door and entryway, how could any of us overlook something so obvious? How many sellers reading this have a front doorknob that looks like it’s from the Bronze Age? Curb appeal is one thing, but a considerable aspect of first impressions is the visual and touch we get when entering any house. Your front door says a lot about what’s behind it. It may be the most crucial conversion point I’ve mentioned. After all, you would not expect to find Rolex value behind a screen door with holes all in it.
