Dear Home Seller…
To the Seller of THE ONE I’ll choose as my New Home:
I’m serious about owning a home and your house may be exactly what I am looking for. I don’t want to miss out on my perfect new home, so I thought I’d fill you in on a few things from my point
of view that you may not have thought about from your point of view. Even if I don’t buy your house, these ideas may help you find a buyer quicker and at your asking price!
Insist your Listing agent take a LOT of pictures; I don’t just want one view of your living room, I’d really like to see the room from a number of different angles so I feel like I’ve really seen all there is to see. Good pictures are important. In fact, buyers like me are over 80% more likely to want to see a home when we like the pictures. Oh, and make sure there’s plenty of sunlight so the house doesn’t appear dreary to me. And those video tours? I can’t get enough of them!
Cooperating with your agent to assure I get the best possible online tour of your home can only work in your favor to attract buyers like me. I definitely want to see all the rooms, even the basement, but I’m noticing everything else which will also influence my decision whether or not to put your house on my “Short List to Visit in Person”:
- Are the rooms large enough for my furniture? Rooms with too much furniture in them appear smaller and less appealing
- Are there enough closets? Even more than the number of closets, I want to see inside to assess if the storage is ample. Overstuffed closets appear so tiny, especially in pictures
- Is there enough counter space? Not just in the kitchen but in the bathrooms, too. BTW – cluttered countertops make the whole room look smaller
- While you are still living in the home, and I do appreciate that, in the pictures I really want to get a sense of me there, not you there. Unmade beds, a sink full of dishes or an overflowing garbage pail? I probably will pass on the showing
Speaking of pictures and video, these are all posted to the internet, right? More than 90% of the time that’s the first place I’m looking, long before I choose any homes to tour in person.
Once I do decide to schedule a showing of your home, there are still a few items you should be aware of that will quickly result in your house getting crossed off and forgotten!
- A pet left locked in a room, any room. I and 78% of my buyer counterparts are unlikely to even finish touring when a pet is left in the house, no matter how friendly! Missing out on seeing the room that beloved pet is in usually means I won’t consider making an offer to purchase, and that includes if I can’t freely tour the back yard. I don’t want to be held responsible for your pet either, so requests not to let the cat out can trigger a “cross off” the list, too. Let me comfortably tour the house and maybe envision myself living there and you’ve got a better chance of getting an offer from me
- People hanging out have the same effect as pets even if I act like I’m okay with it. I’m not, not really. I feel inhibited from peaking in closets, which are very important to my buying decision, and certainly from poking into kitchen cabinets. If the appliances are part of the sale, I really want to be free to check them over
Buyers just like me are eager and ready to own a home like yours. Remember when you were looking to buy? The same emotions that house evoked in you just may inspire me to make that offer you are hoping for. I’m really looking forward to seeing your house and who knows? It just may be exactly the right one for me!
Sincerely,
Your potential Buyer