Janna Rankin Scharf, GRI, CLHMS, SFR - Coeur d'Alene Idaho Homes for Sale

When you have any kind of defect that you KNOW will be a huge turnoff the minute the buyer discovers it, you need to spin it around to a positive BEFORE the buyer stumbles upon it. 

I had a house listed where the seller took all, I mean ALL appliances, thinking the buyer would just want new ones anyway...  Not just the stove and dishwasher pulled out of the cabinets, but even the microwave hood fan over the stove... Same house had a slider in the informal dining area to the back yard that was just a drop off to a little concrete stoop where you might kill yourself if you didn't realize there was no deck or level step there when you walked out.   Also had all bamboo floors which no one had EVER seen in our area before.  Looked a little weird. 

The house languished for a couple months, even though the seller was offering a $5000 concession for the appliances.   All feedback mentioned the lack of appliances and weird floor. 

I built a little display about the positive qualities of bamboo flooring which are really quite impressive. Big stores like Neiman Marcus are using it because of its durability which exceeds that of most hardwoods.  It is also earth friendly because it grows to maturity in just a few years versus 40 or so for a hardwood.  I set up my BENEFITS OF BAMBOO FLOORS  display right by the front door where buyers would see it at the same time they were saying to themselves, "Yowzer, that is a WEIRD looking floor...."

Next, I took the $5000 that buyers were willing to pay as a concession and shopped appliances at Sears.  I got prices for purchase, delivery and installation of appliances suitable for this house, which was just a hair above entry level.  I made another display in the kitchen with photos of those specific appliances which I obtained online.  When the buyers entered the kitchen, at the same time they were thinking, "OMG! They took EVERY appliance!" they saw the display proclaiming PICK OUT BRAND NEW APPLIANCES! 

My last display I put near the sliding door.  I had a handyman friend come do a bid for a simple wooden deck which would be installed within 2 weeks of closing.  I squeaked the appliances and deck in under my $5000 budget and waited...

It was right after that that we got the house under contract for full price and sold without any problem.  The buyers were SO EXCITED to be able to get brand new appliances, and to have a trendy, cutting edge, earth friendly bamboo floor! 

In the case of my friend Sally Hansen in Wisconsin, she is trying to overcome the negative of the expressway in the backyard of a home she is selling.  She will need to brainstorm and find an advantage to living near the expressway and write all her marketing to play up that benefit!  For people on the go...  For movers and shakers...  Quick and easy access to everywhere you need to be....  Life is racing by, hop on and enjoy the ride!

Whatever the objection potential buyers will have to overcome, the wise marketing advice is to play up the features, overcome the negatives in ADVANCE, and come up with the profile of your potential buyer - then gear ALL your marketing to him!