If you are selling a home, you’re likely going to approach the process and the whole situation from your own point of view, as the seller. It’s natural that you would want to put your own needs first, but experts will tell you that’s not always the best way to sell a home. Instead, you should look at the process as if you were a buyer. If you can do that, you’ll be able to identify some of the things that potential homeowners always look for when buying a new home.
Property Size
Most people start house shopping by thinking about size. It’s not necessarily square footage they need, but rather the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Occasionally, the buyer may also be looking for a certain yard size, garage, or workshop space. Your goal is to sell your home to someone who is looking for a house that will fit their family, or perhaps their own personal needs.
If you don’t have the right amount of space, your home will have to make up for that elsewhere. You need to get creative with how you list your home and where. Never lie about any aspects of your home, but do elaborate on features that you think will draw buyers in, like the accessibility of the extra bathrooms or the proximity of the bedrooms to one another.
Location
Location is one thing that you cannot change in your home. Despite that, it’s something that is vitally important to your potential buyers when you are looking to sell real estate. Buyers want to know that your home is going to be near the things that are important to them, be that good schools or public transportation. If the location of your home isn’t ideal you’ll need to show that there are other important factors that can trump where it is located. This might be proximity to major highways or public transportation, parks, grocery stores, or whatever else you have noticed you like being close to while living there.
Potential
Potential is a tough thing to define. For some searching home buyers, potential means the possibility for the property to grow with the buyer’s future needs. For others, it means that the property has the potential to make them money if they plan to sell the house in the future. It’s vital that you as a seller look for ways to show that your house isn’t just a good fit for buyers today, but that it will be a great fit for them in years to come.
Value
Finally, buyers are generally looking for something that feels like a solid value. This doesn’t just mean getting more square footage for their money, though—it means getting the right home for a price that seems to be at least equal to the property’s value. If you are trying to sell a home, you need to think about the steps that you can take to show buyers that they are getting a great deal at your asking price. Price your home based on what other homes in your area are going for, along with the aspects previously mentioned like property size, location, and potential.
Try to put yourself in a buyer’s shoes when you’re selling your home. Looking at that perspective when selling can totally change how you look at your house. With a little work, you can change your home into something your buyers will love.