A Strategic Approach to Selling Your San Francisco Home
Your home has a story. Let’s tell the tale. The tale of the most impressive features of your property. It could be the hidden ironing board in a Victorian building or even the secret pantry in the kitchen. Together, we will prioritize and highlight those features in the listing. We will describe them to potential buyers when they come to the open house and show them physically to potential buyers.
Most homeowners forget about the unique property features after living in the house for some years. You might forget the times you used to sip morning coffee on the balcony to enjoy the view or how the outdoor space used to be the highlight for weekend evenings. It’s easy to forget about beautiful things when we have lived in a house for years. But it’s important to describe and highlight those unique aspects because they will sell your home. After all, people visit open houses because buying helps them visualize living in the home before buying.
Location: Proximity to Desired Amenities
No home is perfect for everyone. Your home will attract a certain type of audience, depending on its location and features. Is your home located in a good school neighborhood? Do you have access to gyms, shopping facilities, or outdoor activities? Every neighborhood has something special. Are there coffee shops? Community centres?
Be sure to tell all the people coming during the open house weekend to mention all the neighborhood features that couldn’t be included. Even though there are neighborhood pictures, it doesn’t tell the story of where the hole in the wall is or the best place to walk your dog.
What is the area of your home?
Spacious homes sell well. We all want a big and well-maintained house. Now you can’t change the square footage of your property. You will just mention it in the description.
But you can show that your home is spacious by removing furniture. Open up the living area. Install bright lights and improve the flow. Your home should be accessible. That will make it look spacious.
Storage Space Inside Your Home
What about the size of your pantry? Do you have sufficient storage space?
We all need more storage space inside a home. For a chef, they will be looking for more storage space in the kitchen. This is different if the buyer loves the outdoors, as they will want a larger garage. Buyers love having more storage and will value a home more if there is enough manageable storage space. If there isn’t enough storage space, ask yourself where can a rack or shelf be added?
Age and Type of the Roof & HVAC
Buyers want to know about the basic systems. When was the roof installed? What is the condition of the heating system?
It pays to add this information to the listing before someone inquires. If you just upgraded the roof, announce it. The future buyer needs to know that they are investing in a safe home. Imagine that the interior of the house was recently remodeled and has an open floor plan that looks modern, but the roof is 10 years old and has a leak. That leak will slowly come through the ceiling and ruin the remodel.
Energy Efficiency of Your Property
Is your home energy efficient? Does it have insulation in the wall so people don’t have to deal with the noise of the heater turning on? Are you utilizing smart home technology to only turn on the heater when there is someone at home? Make those features a part of your description and the open house event.
Outdoor View
Do you have an outside space with views of San Francisco? Or an outside space to enjoy family space in the evening? The outdoor view is refreshing, and buyers appreciate the closeness to nature, provided the space is manageable.
There are some spaces in San Francisco where the backyard is literally a hill. Hence the name, the City of Hills. The backyard has 360 views of San Francisco, but the viewer would need to climb 3 stories. For some, this is a welcomed exercise, but for others, it is unmanageable, especially if they have knee pain.
Smart Home Office
A neat working place inside a home can get you bonus points. Given the trend towards remote work, most buyers want a study/work area. Show that the home office is private, silent, and will let them concentrate on important tasks.
Some homeowners have required their house to have a hard-wired ethernet cable because they are doctors who mainly do online meetings with patients, and a slowdown in the internet is unacceptable.
Draw Attention to the Unique Features
It’s an important step when staging a house. Do you have a beautiful walkway leading to your home? Have you worked on the curb appeal?
You can draw attention to your effort by installing lights on the walkway. A light on the entrance will add some dramatic effect in the evening. Think strategically. Something easy to do would be to add solar lights to the walkway so that if a potential new homeowner drives by at night, they will see the house lit up.
How can you show that your home is spacious, modern, and well-maintained? Remember, you need to express those details because the buyer doesn’t know about them. The buyer is looking at something that is brand new and would only see the shiniest object.
Why work with Haley Sells the City?
I am Haley Zhao, your experienced realtor in San Francisco. Listing your home isn’t about hitting publish on the MLS. It’s a journey. I want to attract the top buyers for your home. Along with my team, I will present your property in its best condition. The goal is to get the buyer excited to buy your home so that they can’t go without making an offer.
We want to sell your house fast, within the shortest time, and for the most money. You want to work with a trusted real estate agent who will go above and beyond their promise.
Join me for a free consultation, and let’s go over the details about selling your home in San Francisco.
