Snagging a Home Buyer: Selling secrets for Writing a Successful Classified Ad
What’s the secret of selling with a killer classified ad? It’s simply telling the home buyer what they want to hear. In addition, your goal should be to sell the buyer by carefully making them curious enough to want to learn more about your property. Most home buyers will immediately want to know three things: the price, the location, and the number of bedrooms in the house. Keep in mind that you do not want to give so much information that the qualified buyers are immediately able to eliminate your home from consideration (i.e. a selling ad that mentions “needs repairs” will probably be crossed off the list of a potential buyer). Many times, prospective buyers will end up purchasing a property quite different from what they have in mind. Therefore, your selling ad needs to draw them in enough to take a look at what you have to offer!
A good classified ad is direct and to-the-point. Leading with the home’s selling price will immediately attract serious buyers to your ad. Here is where you would mention if the home selling price is negotiable or if financing is available. The words “Financing Available” will appeal to potential buyers, as this is often a confusing or difficult part of the house buying process. It’s reassuring to know that the seller is already taking steps towards pre-qualifying prospective buyers. If you happen to be working with a lender who is willing to pre-qualify potential buyers (especially one who can get them good rates), make sure to include this information as well (one lender that is willing to provide this service for free is YourLoanHelper.com). In fact, highlight this point by stating “Excellent Financing” or “Affordable Financing” is available. Everyone wants a deal and they will certainly be interested in good financing options!
Working with a lender is also helpful if you receive phone calls from buyers only interested in low down payment options. You can send them directly to your lender, explaining that you are only showing the home after they have met with the lender. Though some potential buyers may not be willing to do this, it will enable you to work with serious, qualified buyers who are truly ready to purchase your home. For those buyers who claim to have already been pre-qualified, take down the name of their lender and verify it before taking any further steps. Of course, you do not have to include financing options if you do not wish to–your ad will still be effective, attracting a number of interested home buyers.
In addition to the selling price and terms, this first line should include the home’s location. As many home buyers only skim through classified ads, it’s important that you are accurate, yet not too specific in naming your area (the exception to this rule is, of course, those neighborhoods that are so desirable that its name alone will have your phone ringing). For example, if your home is in Allston Hills, you should just state the location as “Allston” to appeal to more buyers. You do not want a potential buyer to eliminate your house because they (possibly mistakenly) believe that Allston Hills is too far from the train station. The key is to get them to come see the house for themselves. Many home sellers are wary of mentioning the desired selling price or area so early in their ad. It is important to remember that, in most circumstances, buyers will only look at houses within their price range and location. Again, you are ensuring that you are attracting only serious buyers.
The next phase of your ad is the descriptive qualities of the house itself. First, you should state how many bedrooms the house has. Next, make note of any garages, a backyard, a fence, or a quiet street. Also be sure to include anything that has been newly renovated or remodeled. This always appeals to potential buyers who like the idea of getting a new kitchen or bathroom, for example. Other nice features to mention are a patio or a fireplace. These amenities will further increase buyer interest in your property.
Do not state every feature you believe is wonderful about your home. What you think is great may not appeal someone else. For example, a home that is close to stores may be great for you, but it might signal a noisy neighborhood to some of your buyers. The last thing you want to do is clutter your ad space with information that will make buyers look past your ad to the next one! Your job is to get them to call. They will see all the fabulous features your home has to offer soon enough.
The most effective ads are those that are short, simple, and non-threatening. They fulfill the most important job of all-telling the buyer what they want to hear. Here are examples of strong classified ads:
http://www.forsalebyowner.com/classified-ad.html
Sell Your House Quickly | Quick Property Sale – Private UK Buyer
There had been dramatic rise in the number to people deciding to sell their home privately and avoid the hassle and fees that come with listing their property with an estate agent. There are numerous websites that make it easy for anyone to list their house up for sale and deal directly with buyers. This is a great way to sell your house as you can deal directly with the buyer who is interested in your property and cut out the middle man.
The downside is that if you want a quick property sale, and need to sell your house quickly you have little choice as estate agents usually take on average over 3-6 weeks to sell a property, and then the traditional buying process takes another 3-4 months as the buyer has to raise finance etc.
There are of course other ways of getting your property bought quickly, and achieving a quick sale. Many people opt to put their property in an auction. The benefit of this is that if someone buys your property then you can achieve a sale in about 28 days. The downside is that the price you may achieve for your house in an auction will probably be 30% or more below the current market value. In addition to this, when you get a quick house sale in an auction you have auctioneers fees to pay, plus there is no actual guarantee that anyone will buy your house.
AC Investments can help you if you are in situation where you need a quick property sale, and you need a buyer with the cash and legal system in place to exchange on your property in as little as 7 days and complete within 4 weeks. As we have large access to funds we are able to pay for property in cash, so we don’t need to undergo the 6-8 week process of raising a mortgage. We buy houses in any condition, and any location in the UK, and offer you the option of renting back for as long as you wish at an affordable rate, and also the option to buy the property back if you wish to.
http://acinvestments.co.uk/about_us/sell_house_quickly_uk_sale.html
Tips To Help You Sell A Vacant House
The ad looks too good to be true — a home with all the prerequisites you want is on the market in a fabulous neighborhood. The community is near work, the schools are great, there are lots of activities nearby — and the asking price is competitive.
But when the prospective buyers approach the newly listed home, hopes plummet — the place is vacant and filled with scarred walls, dirty floors, and an unkempt yard.
Unfortunately, a home which is merely “lived-in” when furnished and occupied may look bare and blemished when empty. But the good news is that selling a vacant home isn’t an impossible task, especially if you follow these pointers:
Remember first impressions. Regardless of whether your home is vacant or not, its appeal from the street is crucial in making a positive impact with potential buyers.
Paint or fix up the front entrance as required.
If you have a lawn, keep it mowed. Hire a neighborhood teen or local landscape service to keep it maintained. If you have an automated irrigation or sprinkler system, you’ll want to leave it on, or ask a neighbor to water for you. This is especially crucial in regions with scorching summers.
If your house is on the market in fall, be sure you or someone you hire keeps leaves cleaned up. Likewise, if it’s winter and you live in a snowy area, be sure driveways and entrances are cleared.
Spruce up landscaping before you leave. Plant some new shrubs, lay down some fresh ground cover, or brighten it up with some colorful annuals.
Go through every room of your house, paintbrush in hand, and touch up any walls that have been scuffed or marked up. After moving furniture out, you’re sure to find a slew of such marks.
Walls painted in bold, bright colors are wonderful attention-getters when complemented by furniture, rugs, and accessories. However, in an empty room, these bold colors may put buyers off. You may want to consider painting neutral colors throughout the house before you sell.
Get carpets professionally cleaned once everything is moved out. If the floors aren’t taken care of, the prospective home buyer may wonder, what else isn’t?
Clean your house thoroughly in every nook and cranny — including windows and fireplaces — before you let potential buyers look at it.
If at all possible, try to leave some furniture in the house. This will give prospective buyers a sense of size and proportion — and a place to sit down. Empty rooms tend to look smaller than they actually are.
Don’t set your deserted house up for potential break-ins. You may want to invest in exterior sensor lights that automatically turn on when it gets dark and turn off at sunrise. Make sure you cancel your newspaper subscription and forward your mail.
If you have a security alarm, use it — just be sure you leave your entrance code with your real estate broker.
Be sure you review the provisions of your homeowners insurance. Many companies have a cap on how long coverage will last while the property is vacant.
As you prepare a vacant home for sale, also consider this idea: Some buyers like the flexibility that comes with buying a vacant house. They can move in as soon or as late as they’d like, and they don’t have to worry about floors getting soiled and walls getting banged up when you move out.
http://sellfoxvalleyhomes.blogspot.com/2005/04/tips-to-help-you-sell-vacant-house.html