What does your idea buyer look like? When you are selling your home, it is essential to be thinking about who your property is likely to appeal most to. Make sure you are focussing on the areas which are likely to resonate with them to make your home as attractive as possible.
Some properties have a wider appeal than others and it is a good idea to have a picture in mind of who your likely buyer is before you start marketing your property. There are not many families looking for city centre apartments and professional singles or couples have little use, generally speaking; for a four-bedroom house.
Selling a house is often preceded by a change in the circumstances of the owner. Whether that is children leaving home, the arrival of additional family members (young or old), marriage, retirement or illness. For this reason, many of us find ourselves using houses in ways they are not well adapted for, just prior to selling. That may mean offices or hobby rooms occupying spare bedrooms; downstairs living rooms used as bedrooms; bedrooms having more occupants than is comfortable or garages used as overflow storage.
Wherever possible, showing rooms being used for their intended purpose is better and helps buyers to visualise themselves living at the property.
If your property is family sized and in a good area for schools, think about what your buyer will want and how you can demonstrate that your property fits the bill.
For example, families with younger children are going to appreciate a garden which is safe, enclosed and which they can see from the house. Make sure it looks like it has space to play and have a defined seating/eating area outside if possible. Families are also likely to appreciate space which is well defined for storage of coats, shoes and bags and for bedrooms to look like bedrooms. Quite high up on the list for families usually is a good kitchen/dining space. If families are your target market, make sure that these areas are shown to their best advantage. Make sure your storage areas look well-ordered and efficient and have a dining area set up which will accommodate a family group – even if you don’t necessarily need this yourself.
From an agent’s perspective, we would refer to school catchment areas and family activities in the area in your property brochure if your target market is likely to be families.
So, whether your property’s main appeal is to young families, retirees, downsizers, investors or first-time buyers, make sure you keep that in mind when preparing your house for sale. Try to highlight those areas which are likely to be most important for those buyers and view your house from their perspective.
Getting inside the mind of your prospective buyer is essential if you want a quick sale – and, being realistic, who doesn’t want a quick sale?
If you need further advice about selling or how best to market your property – call into your local Seddons branch or contact us via our website. We offer free valuation and marketing advice and we are always here for a chat!