When you built your custom home, there was a lot you took into consideration. How many showerheads do you want? What kind of stove? Are you going to add a kitchen island? Who are your builders going to be? What materials are you going to build with? There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that you remember, very clearly, the endless list of things to take into consideration.
Then it comes time to sell your custom-built home, which presents its own set of unique challenges. Your home was designed with you in mind, and this can make it more difficult to find a buyer who thinks you, also, have great taste. Luckily, we have a few tips on how to sell your custom-built home.
1. Adopt a buyer’s point of view
Buyers want to purchase “their” home, and they want it to be turn-a-key-and-its-yours ready. To achieve this, you’ll have to look at your home through different glasses — does beautiful, highly work-intensive landscaping mean someone else will look at it and think maintenance headache and extra expense? Does a beautifully maintained pond in the back represent a hazard for young children? From there, consider how you should adjust your home accordingly and what projects need to be completed before putting the house on the market.
2. Depersonalize
Universally appealing is the way to go, and depersonalizing a house before putting it on the market is an important step for everyone. However, it is especially important when selling a custom-built home. You want artwork and accessories that enhance the furniture and architecture in your home and tie the rooms together. You don’t want any personal photos, sports team logos, anything with a religious connotation. There is no guessing at what someone is looking for, and small things can be big when a potential buyer is looking at your home online or in person.
3. Focus on your home's universal features
Hone in on the universal features that everyone loves in a home. Do you have gorgeous wood floors? Shiny new appliances? Efficiency appliances? A useful and functional laundry room? Lots of storage space? Exterior lighting/a beautiful patio? Walk-in closets?
These features are the ones you will want to highlight. Stage your home accordingly and put the spotlight on features you know will sell. And speaking of staging...
4. Stage your home
Position your home in a way that tells the story of your house. Staging is a culmination of everything mentioned above — depersonalizing, highlighting the universal features (while outshining anything that might be a turn off to a potential buyer), and keeping that buyer’s point of view in mind.
After you have depersonalized, take a look at how things are set up. You want to aim for a light and bright look (good lighting, open curtains, new lampshades). You will want to consider renting storage and removing approximately one third of your furniture and accessories. Additionally, your furniture should look showroom-ready. If it has a bit of wear and tear, consider renting a few nice pieces. From there, move things around until it looks as flawless as can be!
To sell your custom-built home, put on buyer-tinted glasses, focus on the selling points, market yourself effectively, stage your home, and your home will sell. Questions? Ask a realtor. Experience and knowing what a buyer is looking for helps when you’re trying to look at your home through someone else’s eyes.