Quirky Perks in your Property
Have something unusual or quirky about the home you want to sell?
Marketing those unusual aspects is the key to attracting the right buyers.
We’ve all probably seen at least one home we would consider “offbeat.” From overly large or small spaces, to unconventional architecture, to a peculiar location like train tracks in the backyard, a home with some non-traditional elements can be more difficult to sell. Especially in the tri-state area, where homes are often as old as 150 years, things that may have had usefulness or interest in the past are considered outdated or quirky today. But just like every pot has a lid, every home has a buyer.
Sometimes, quirky interiors can be a drive for purchase and thinking to the box can help your property sell.
The first rule of selling a uniquely different property?
Never speak disparagingly about what you may perceive to be a negative. Whatever the trait is, someone liked it enough to own it and someone will be equally as excited to buy it.
One of our agents listed two homes in City Island on single-family lots. The properties had one main house and a smaller but almost identical house built directly behind it on the property. It was unexpected, and not necessarily useful to most, but once we marketed the property as a renovated “granny suite” we attracted buyers who were looking for just such an arrangement and ended up with several offers.
Tree house? When a tree is supporting a house – that’s quirky! In a Westchester neighborhood, a house was originally built so close to a tree that over time, the tree had grown to support the house and become a part of its character. Once we made the feature a leading detail and gave a virtual image of how it could be incorporated into the design, several interested buyers could see the potential and came to the table.
Those homes with non-traditional characteristics are often perfect for unconventional marketing.
Marketing with the eccentricity front & center often grabs interest and can even create a buzz. The unusual trait could be the primary focus or could be secondary in the description, but giving creative ideas on how the buyer could use the space or visualize the space as theirs.
