Climb to the top
Get on
The-PropertyLadder.com
Climb to the
right rung
and click.
The-PropertyLadder.com
Your Marketing Plan
Geography Benefits to
stress
You will benefit from positive information about the area. The buyer might be pleased to find a facility nearby that they were keen on and again this will do no harm when they look at your property. Of course if you have failed to make the best of your property, the potential buyer may look for a better presented home in the area.
Consider the district’s general character, if you have transport, sports, facilities, entertainment, shops and schools.
Neighbourhood. Is it an up and coming area or is it deteriorating?
Also, can you tell buyers how wonderful the neighbours are?
Schools. A topic in itself... Even if you have no children if your buyer does it’s good if you have researched and can say that the school down the road has the highest SAT’s scores etc.
Crime rate.
Topography. Slopes can be subject to movement and low lying areas can flood. Can you demonstrate that you are not at risk? Is the area exposed or sheltered
Maps & Area guides
If
your viewers do not know the area then it is beneficial to give them an idea
where to find you. This will save you waiting for someone to turn up who
has been lost for an hour. It does not help a potential buyer who should
have everything made as easy as possible for them, so they have a good
experience. The more negatives that creep in to the process for a buyer the
less likely they are to make a good offer for your home.
Make the best of your home
Ok, so you think you want to sell your house. Let’s be clever about this and like those corporate marketing types try to see things from the buyer’s point of view, so that we can give them exactly what they want.
When you buy a product, what do you look for? Well, apart from something that fulfils the need that you have, you want something that is fully functioning and not dirty, worn or worse broken.
If we
apply this to our homes, we need to go round each room with a sheet of paper
and look for anything that is not absolutely perfect. You do not have to act
on each point, but you need to know the extent of the task before you can
decide what the priorities are.
Also look at the house from outside, front, back or any vantage point. What
is there that may put someone off. Again, treating this as a commercial
sales project, you must remove all the reasons a customer may have to say
no.
If you have had a survey, use the information and rectify the problems identified. The three most significant are usually subsidence, dry rot and damp. Also take any comments about ventilation seriously as they are often surprisingly simple to implement.
What about the décor? Some buyers are unable to look beyond your colour scheme and furniture. Do you need to paint, fill cracks, re-wallpaper, re-carpet? Will buyers like your colour schemes? Remember, you are not doing this to your taste, or even to try to predict your buyers, simply to show your home in its best light. They will most likely plan to redecorate in their own style once they move in, but there are also many houses that are still waiting for that makeover when they are put on the market several years later.
Listen to your house, in each room. Are there sounds that shouldn’t be present? Wind noise, dripping taps or a cranky old boiler and heating system.
Do a dry run of showing prospective buyers round the house. What would you look at? Will they ask about cupboard space? Should you clear out the cupboard, fix the broken door and handle. Can the views be enhanced by pruning shrubs or trees (check that they’re not protected) or just by cleaning the windows?
First impressions.
Make them count for you. Check that the approach to the house is clear and
tidy with nothing to put the buyer off. What if it’s raining? Will they get
soaked while you answer the door? Not a positive experience. Have a plan.
If it’s raining, make a note that you will have to answer the door without
hesitation but without looking desperate and watching them through the
windows. By the way, now would be a good time to put new batteries in the
doorbell. Any flaws like this may make the buyer think that if something as
easy to fix as this is faulty, what is there that they cant see? And then
there’s the garden. Neat and tidy please. Viewers can look at this any time
they pass the property.
Remember, if you don’t remove a problem, whilst you could try to hide it, you will probably get caught out and people will usually respect your being open about any issues that you have not got round to tackling.
If there are period features that you can restore do it, but do it properly. You may be surprised how many people can spot a fake restoration, so don't try to find out.
Many
people viewing a house look at your possessions. These should be clean and
tidy and suggest the lifestyle that the buyer can attain if they were lucky
enough to buy your home. Also remember those TV shows that get rid of junk?
Clear out your rubbish. The house should be like a show home in a brand new
property, although don’t go to the once popular show home extreme, of taking
the doors off the hinges to enhance the feeling of spaciousness.
If you really can’t clear the floor space, you can always point out the
ceiling to potential purchasers. This is usually the same space as the
floor, but tends to be clear! The point being, have a plan.
If you have a problem you have encountered that we have not pointed out or even a success story, please tell us.
Now you've done all that work, do you really want to move?
Next - Setting a Price
New
Climbers
Click the House above to add your home
FREE
Holiday Vouchers
Check out the Free Holiday Vouchers
Save £1,506
Treat yourself
with the money we save you
Forum
Comments to
Copyright © 2002
The-PropertyLadder.com. All rights reserved.
Revised: 20 March, 2003.