Thinking of selling your historic home? A home this special is difficult to come by. With all the historic charm in it, its age only adds to the appeal. If walls could talk, they would have decades of interesting stories to tell.
According to a research study done in 2019 by the National Association of Realtors, 86% of recent buyers purchased a previously owned (rather than brand new) home. And of those buyers who purchased an owned home, over 20% did so because it had more charm and character. Interesting, right?
Of course, you want the most money you can get from your property, but that might not happen if you keep making costly home selling mistakes along the way. Are you wondering where to start? Look no further because we’ve got it all covered in this article. Here are tips to make your home sale a success.
1. Seek Professional Assistance
Considering you might be busy and have little time to prepare a home selling plan, you will need to enlist the services of an agent who understands how to sell historic houses. Working with an experienced realtor like the Maverick Group which are Airdrie realtors, will help you sell your house much faster. You should find an agent who is conversant with housing market trends for the neighborhood and able to stage your house professionally.
We highly recommend the agent present you with a comprehensive marketing plan that explains what he/she will do to market your home. You can also ask the agent to prepare comparative market analyses for you so you have an idea of home values in your area.
Since your historic home may need some makeovers, you will also need to hire an inspector who has experience in assessing historic buildings. The inspector will let you know whether the house is strong enough to last for another decade or more. They will also recommend appropriate renovations to improve your home’s structure and value.
2. Make Minor Repairs
As a historic homeowner, you know that when a house has been around for as long as yours has, there is always some restoration or renovation that needs your attention. Time takes a toll on any home, but you should not let renovations ruin your home’s historic character.
You don’t want to go overboard with the repairs, because not all resale repairs you will do will pay off, so calculate the potential return on your investment and work on the things that will provide the best return like the bathroom and the kitchen.
Avoid ripping out intact historic features. Keep in mind that all those quirks and architectural characteristics are the ones that make historic homes unique, and will make the right buyer with a competitive offer to come your way.
3. Harness the Power of Social Media
More than ever before, people are scouting for homes online. Do you really want to miss this golden opportunity? You can reach many potential buyers by sharing a short preview of your historic home across all your social media platforms.
One of the best tips for selling your home online is to accompany your listings with great photos. Unless you have a professional quality camera and lighting equipment, you can consider hiring a professional photographer to take quality photos and even videos of your home. You could even offer potential buyers online virtual tours.
Your photos and videos should present your home in a way that gives potential buyers that warm, fuzzy, I-want-to-live-here feeling, just at the initial glance. Have a look at these proven-to-work tips for using social media to sell a home.
4. Highlight Your Home’s History
You should create a story behind your home. Every historic property has a story behind it, you should let the buyers know about previous owners especially if you are not the original owner, who built the home, and what the property means to the community. The potential buyers interested in your historic home will love such details.
Wouldn’t you highlight the history of your home especially if it was built during the colonial period by a well-known local merchant? I thought so! This kind of information may help give your home an edge over other potential prospects your buyers are looking at.
5. Stage Your Home
Set up your home professionally to make a strong impression on potential buyers. When you showcase your home, the intention is for the buyer to picture themselves and their family living there. You should depersonalize the space and put away all your family photos and personal belonging.
You should make your house free of clutter and have abundant open space. This might even mean moving away some. You can use home staging tips like including mirrors to make small rooms look large or small touches like adding fresh flowers to a room.
Conclusion
You probably admire your historic home and you are worried that the current generation of buyers may not appreciate it the same way you do, making it hard to sell. Now that you have a few tips to use in your marketing strategy, you can sell your historic home fast despite the housing market conditions and make a killing from the sale.
Utilize the long history of your home, and stage it well. You can use social media to help capitalize on everything and showcase your home across many platforms. Selling a home has changed drastically over the years, and finding the correct real estate agent that knows the nuances of today’s digital landscape is crucial to a smooth sale.
