Every month there are dozens of brand-new homes being completed and listed for sale in Charleston and the surrounding area. If you’re a homeowner that is thinking of selling, having to go up against new homes can seem like a daunting task. In this blog post we will share some helpful tips on how to compete with newly-constructed homes when listing and selling your property.
Focus on Your Strengths
First and foremost, you’re going to want to lead with the features and benefits that your home has over new homes in the area. If your square footage is larger, or you have larger bedrooms than in new homes, be sure to state it up front. If your home has a massive yard, a deck or even a fireplace, point them out to prospective buyers as new homes might not include them. To get an idea of what the competition is offering, book a couple of tours for new homes in the area and pose as a potential buyer.
Sell Your Neighborhood and Amenities
You’ll also want to highlight any key local amenities, such as schools, parks, community centers or golf courses. Savvy buyers look at the entire package – not just the home itself – and if the area around your home is more rich and vibrant than areas where new construction is taking place, you will have a far easier time closing the sale.
Quality Staging and Curb Appeal Are Critical
It should go without saying that if you are trying to compete with brand-new homes, your house and property will need to look as crisp as possible. Spend some time and money on high-impact upgrades to the front of the house, the bathrooms and the bedrooms. If you’re staging ‘in place’ – meaning that you’re going to live in the home while you sell it – you’ll need to ensure that your furniture and art look as fresh as possible. If you can have a professional home staging team take care of things, all the better.
Price Will Be a Major Consideration
The price of a home and its property are always a consideration for buyers, so be sure to point out the size of the gap between your listing price and the price of a comparable new home nearby. If you can’t find homes that are of a similar size, an effective pricing method is to use the ‘price per square foot’ metric which typically favors older homes over new construction. Regardless of where you are in Charleston, there’s a high probability that the price of your home will be a major draw to potential buyers, so be sure to hammer this point home as the sale moves forward.
The Cassina Group is ready to assist you with listing and selling your Charleston-area home. Contact us today for a consultation and home evaluation where our professional team will share how much you can expect for your home and how long it should take to sell. For more information you can also download our home seller’s eBook The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Home by clicking here.
