What are you really selling?

I’ll tell you what you aren’t selling people – bricks and mortar. Let me explain.

The Chief Executive of Black & Decker once said: “People don’t go into a DIY store because they need one of our drills. They go in because they need a hole in a wall.”

What is it that you are really selling when you put your house on the market?

Your agent may write about its “open aspect”, its “convenient location” or perhaps the “ample parking”. In our growing town of Melksham for instance, we’re blessed with great schools and cheap public parking! When a buyer calls Lock & Key to register their requirements, they may list “four bedrooms”, “commutable to Bristol” and “walking distance from the village amenities” as their criteria. But ask them WHY they are moving, and you’ll get a different picture altogether.

The things a buyer is looking for in a property are varied, but almost without exception, there will be positive factors involved. They may be looking for a shorter working day, a healthier lifestyle, a chance to test out their ability to add value to a property, or just a better view from their kitchen or sitting room window. Will the agent have tick boxes for criteria like these?

It really helps to understand the type of buyer that will love your house. What stage of life they are in – ‘upsizing’ or ‘downsizing’? Couple or family? Growing family even?

Your buyers are trying to spot clues that your house is what they’ve been looking for, so make sure they find them: the urbanites may well be pleased to see a bottle of champagne, or a state-of-the-art coffee machine. Those buyers wanting an idyllic rural life will be hoping to see an Aga cookbook, a handpicked posy, or a homemade loaf of bread. Gardeners and home makers will spot that kitchen garden book and the smell of cookies. Remember – know your buyer – win the sale.

So, think again what it is that you have to offer a buyer. You might be selling a better night’s sleep, a happier husband, more time to walk the dog or more family mealtimes. Other examples are a chance to relax more, and enjoy recreation and local restaurants. Space for chickens! You might indeed be offering them simply, but vitally, a better life.  All things to consider.

Till next time

Nigel