Home Selling - Product Marketing
Many aspects of product marketing do not apply in real estate
(not true for a developer considering a new development). The house
is what it is and where it is. You are not likely to add an addition just to sell it.
House not a Home
However, you can and should focus on the
property's appeal, inside and out. Now is the time to stop looking
at your "home" and start looking at it as an investment, an
investment you are now wishing to maximize. You need to look at it
as a house with marketable features. You need to identify and
articulate its "unique selling proposition". What is it about the
house that distinguishes it from competing properties on the market?
Start by listing all the features about the house, location,
neighborhood and community that you like and why. Ultimately we will
polish this list as a "note from the seller" to prospective buyers
to be part of the literature packet provided to buyers touring your
property.
Learn about your local market
Some time before you plan to market your property, invest some
time in touring comparable properties that are on the market.
Identify a few that you believe objectively compare closely to
yours. Notice how presentable they are. Follow these. See how long
they take to sell. What did they finally sell for and how long did
it take?
Merchandize
During this time before marketing your property, begin
merchandizing. This is the effort of making the home appealing.
Shift your perspective to that of the buyer who will be considering
your property with a very critical eye. They will be looking at your
house trying to picture it as their "home". So you want to present
your property with as few items as possible that reflect your
presence. By this I mean family photos and unique decorating such as
your son's and daughter's collections of art/posters/sports
memorabilia on their bedroom walls/ceiling. Does your house have a
fresh, clean scent? Is there tobacco, mildew or pet odors? If there
are, consider having the carpets professionally cleaned. Stubborn
odors may be eradicated with an ionization device. Fresh paint
increases appeal tremendously, particularly if you have smaller
rooms painted in darker colors. Choose neutral brighter colors.
Remember, buyers are looking for reasons
not to buy! Strange as that may seem, it is
true. You want them from the moment they drive up to your property
to be excited.
De-Clutter
Can't say this
more strongly. You need your house to suggest to buyers how they
will live there. You don't want their attention distracted with
thoughts about how you have too much stuff. As a rule-of-thumb, if
you do not use something regularly, pack it up and store it. You
will need to pack everything when you move anyway. This just gets
you ahead of the game. Don't store it in the garage/basement/attic.
That's just moving the problem. Consider renting a storage locker.
Clean off the kitchen counters, even of items you use regularly
like the toaster. Put them in the cabinets. If you don't have room
there, clean them out, pack and store. Pack up the family photos
that are on display. You probably don't want every Tom, Dick and
Harry looking at your wedding pictures anyway. If you have a great
number of decorative items on your walls, pack them away. A few well
placed paintings are fine, but keep it to a few. Store large items
of furniture that overwhelm the room. The idea is not to make you
comfortable, but to give buyers a hint as to how a room might be
furnished tastefully.
Curb Appeal
As I mentioned
above, you want to generate an immediate positive impression as
buyers approach your property. Mow the lawn, re-seed any bare spots,
edge the lawn around sidewalks and flower beds. Fill your beds,
planters and any window boxes with colorful flowering plants.
Re-mulch the beds. Trim the shrubs and hedges. Paint! If the paint
is in good condition, power wash the exterior to bring it back to
its original brightness. Take a serious look at the roof. Buyers
always do, and believe me if they think its time for a new one, they
will be thinking it will cost much more than it actually will.
Buyers think in thousands where
sellers think in hundreds! So if its near the end of
its life, consider having it replaced. If you believe it has a few
good years left in it, have a roofing company clean it of any moss,
lichen or leaf stains. Fix all broken, cracked, rotted or missing
trim. Buyers will see these and question your commitment to
consistent maintenance.
Then they will
look everywhere!
You will know your doing well if you begin to consider not
selling after all, the house looks so good!
Copyright©
2006 - Chris Kellogg
All Rights
Reserved
Last Modified
05/16/2007 |
