If you’ve got your heart set on downsizing as you make the step into retirement, you’ve no doubt wondered about how you’re going to take on the challenge of selling your home. Fortunately for you, we’ve had countless conversations with our residents about their experience with selling their home – and we’ve learned a thing or two about how to go about it.
Everyone’s situation is different, so we’ve intentionally kept our tips general. Dive in here with us to get the birds eye view of selling your home and freeing up resources to build a life you’ll love in retirement.
Set the scene
The first steps are all about making sure your home is one your prospective buyers will love to look at. It sounds superficial, but this preparation stage is essential. It puts your prospective buyers in the right state of mind and keeps them looking for reasons to buy – instead of thinking about the work that will come with moving.
We touched on it with pricing, but buying a home is a big decision. So big in fact, that many prospective buyers will find themselves having to rely on that gut-feeling to tell them whether your home is right for them. Having everything neat and presentable will help them through that stage, and get your house sold faster.
We recommend getting professionals in to look after the cleaning. Look for cleaners that will handle any mould build up, get your windows sparkling, and potentially even high-pressure hose down the driveway. You’ll be blown away by the change in response from prospective buyers.
Know your market
Marketing your home effectively is as important as anything else! We’ve found that this step can be difficult for some. Mostly as it will require you to put a dollar value on something that will be very close to your heart. But it is important to think about the buyer journey, and how you market your home should reflect what the buyer needs to see.
When looking to buy a property, prospective buyers will be doing their homework and comparing your home on some very matter-of-fact conditions. Bedrooms, bathrooms, location, etc. But price is going to underpin all of that – and it’s only once a buyer sees that they can afford your home that they’ll start thinking about the emotional side of things.
Drive the sale
This final step in your journey relates to how you close the deal. This part of the journey has been made deeply complicated for so many by the COVID-19 pandemic. But we’ve seen realtors and property owners get creative with how they engage with prospective buyers, using new ways to reach out and make the sale.
Any way that you can make an impression will count. So, get talking to your realtor about ways you can get your home out there and in front of buyers. We’re sure they’ll be keen to help you find inventive ways to get that done despite the lockdown measures currently in place.
Build a brilliant life in retirement with us at Taylors Hill Village
Fortunately, the second wave of the pandemic is coming to an end, and in-person inspections are making a come-back in metropolitan Melbourne. So, if you’re yet to have your property hit the market, you might yet find that you’ll see plenty of interest in your home as buyers come out of hibernation.
In fact, we will be eager to provide the in-person experience to potential residents ourselves. Offering an opportunity to see what life at Taylors Hill Village has to offer. To register your interest, or to organise a visit for when restrictions have eased, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
You can give us a call at 1300 098 000 or leave an enquiry via our contact form.
