BE THE BUYER!
I remember taking golf lessons and the instructor said Kathy, BE THE BALL! Guess he meant that I had a better chance of hitting the ball if I really focused all of my attention on the ball. To sell your home at a good price in this market will require your full attention.
Would you buy your home today?
If you were a buyer, would you want to buy your home? Have you taken the time to walk in the buyers shoes and go look at homes for sale today? Do you really know the competition from the Boomer buyers point of view?
What do Baby Boomers want in their next home and what can you do to attract them? There are some common threads that I see over and over and they favor newer construction:
First-floor Master Suite At least 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths One-level or the ability to live on one-level Gourmet Kitchen Open, flexible floor plan Two-car garage
One thing National Builders do know is what buyers want in a floor plan. If you have owned a historic home or a beach house for years and it has not been brought up to todays standards, you have a choice to make. You can either hire a knowledgeable contractor to update your home or be prepared to reduce your asking price to allow the buyer to make those changes. But - do Baby Boomers want to tackle a project as they prepare for retirement or do they want to buy a home thats perfect as it is?
Why are you selling?
Are you selling because your house needs updates and you would rather buy new than do the work? Just how difficult would it be to add a first-floor Master Suite to your home? Is your kitchen a dream that you cant wait to recreate in your next home, or should it be gutted and designed from scratch?
I have taken buyers through many beautiful, well-maintained homes that might have sold quickly a few years ago. The problem today is that they have been renovated but not updated. Historic home renovations did not always include reworking the floor plan to add a first-floor Master Suite. Preserving the original layout with a step up here and a step down there means that todays buyer would have to tear it all out and start over.
Even if your home is perfect, what about your community? Remember, buyers are looking at the neighborhood, not just the house. Is it friendly? Will they be welcomed or will they feel like outsiders. What does it offer within walking distance? Dont just sell the house, sell the lifestyle. Help your Listing Agent with some insider information that will differentiate your house and make it feel like home.
When I am working with buyers, I tell them that the first reaction is emotional. When they walk through a house or a community and it feels right, thats emotion. Next comes the hard part and thats business. If there is no emotional connection its all hard work. Buying or selling a house can be stressful. Your job as a Seller is to make it as easy as possible.
As soon as you list your home for sale it is no longer your home its a Model Home. Theres plenty of information out there on Staging read it. Start at the front door and BE THE BUYER!