Prosepctive buyers always talk about looking for a house, but could they be talking about your listing, literally?
Problems with actually finding a listed property happens a lot more often than you might think, in both rural and urban settings. Many communities and HOAs do not allow broker signs, and GPS is imperfect, reception can be sketchy in all sorts of areas.
The Refreshed Home looks at ALL aspects of preparing Westchester County properties for sale, and yes, that does include making sure the property is easy to find, because buyers can't buy it if they can't find it.
There are communities I work in where buyers buy expressly for the privacy, NOT to be easily found. If that is your property and your buyer, your agent will know the best way to proceed. But if your property and buyer will fall into the other 99%-where being easily find-able counts, take this Westchester County Home Stagers' counsel:
The Approach
We rarely notice what is familiar, why such simple and obvious things get overlooked. Next time you're on the way home, slow down, really look at what buyers will see as they try to find your house. What catches your eye? If it's your gnome collection, trash cans on the side of the house, or holiday lights anytime between January 15th and November 30th>that will hurt you.
Regular readers know I push yellow flowers. It's the highest visibility color, and represents hope, optimism and change>all happy thoughts. Use that to direct buyers, draw them to the proper entry, even signal where the lockbox is. Very helpful if there are a few visible entrances, or you're on a corner lot, with the driveway on one street, with the front entrance on another. Deer tend to be averse to marigolds and mums, but natural repellents can ensure longevity.
Street signs
- Are they pointed the right way>or still reversed, courtesy of a local prankster from three Halloweens ago?
- Are they there at all?
- Are they readable and unobscured? Glad I'm not trying to sell a house on this street!!
House numbers
If you have a mailbox at the curb, have big new contrasting-even reflective- numbers on each side.
If it's a corner property with the driveway/walkway on the other or on a road that changes names, the street name on the mailbox and numbers on the garage wouldn't hurt, either. Bright yellow flowers at the base will increase the visibility
Days are getting shorter-whether on the house, a light post or a free-standing sign: is your house number in obvious place(s)? Are they well-lit, and large enough to be seen from the road?
If you live in an apartment or multi-residence property, are all the things that will get agents with buyers in, and to your door in place, and in good working order: a clearly marked directory, a working intercom, etc.
Getting In
Big fences, overgrown shrubs, shared driveways, un-obvious walkways, and agents' favorite-where the *#%! is the lockbox!-will all cool down a buyers' interest while you all try to figure things out.
Home Staging makes it easy for buyers to say yes...
but buyers can't buy it, unless they can find it!
here's B&A of how it looked from the street.
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