When selling your home, you have the opportunity to use all of your built-up knowledge of the home to help the potential buyer realize it’s perfect for him or her! Even though you are most concentrated on the home itself, you should take advantage of each meeting with the buyer by not forgetting to discuss the home’s location too. Will this person fit into the neighborhood and the community? He or she wants to know. By completing some pre-selling research of this home’s surroundings, you may just help a buyer decide that this home is perfect!
Before a potential buyer comes to view your home, here are a few ideas to think about so that you are ready for any question from any personality!
First, sit down and think about what you love most about this location. Why do you love the neighborhood? Where you do most often go for entertainment? What will you miss most about the area? If you can show your true enthusiasm to your surroundings, the potential buyer will notice.
Next, consider what you would want to know most about a new area. Think about everyday affairs. How close are the grocery stores? Where do the buses pick up kids for school? How well are the local schools rated? What is the average age of the neighborhood residents? How close is the nearest hospital? Is anything conveniently in walking distance? Are there nearby train stations or expressways that make commuting simple? The circumstances that affect everyday lives are what potential buyers will want answers to.
Now, move onto what is special about this area. Aside from everyday needs, what makes this area unique? Is there a particular attraction that draws people to this location? Even if you don’t visit the local attractions, think about what a potential buyer would want to know about the area. Or is this a quiet location that no outsiders travel to, therefore always quiet and peaceful? Make sure you know what draws people here.
Also, make sure you keep up with the local news and do some minor research on recent occurrences in the area. Potential buyers may perform some research themselves and find out some negative information. If anything newsworthy has occurred, make sure you are knowledgeable about the situation and able to answer any questions they may have.
Now that you have thought about the positives and potential negatives about the area, be ready to turn a negative into a positive! Consider all age groups and family sizes when pondering different aspects of this location. Scenario: a retired couple loves your house but isn’t keen on the fact that most of the neighbors are young families. Turn this aspect into a positive by letting them know how friendly all the neighbors are, how they will make friends in no time and how someone is always available to help with whatever they may need help with.
Plan to ask the potential buyer what sort of pastime activities they enjoy. With your newly completed research, you should be quick on your feet to discover what this personality would be most interested to hear about the surroundings. Practice on friends and family members so that you are experienced with all types of personalities and interests.
Most importantly, be honest. Don’t go overboard and create falsities about the area to gain potential buyer’s interests. Don’t overdue it. This is merely a topic of conversation that can fill the gaps in discussions about the house. And maybe, with your newly gained information on the town, the potential buyers will see why this house and location can together create their new home.
For more information on what to research about your location, read this Buy Owner Blog article.