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Tips for marketing your property in the ‘new normal’
The recent recent Covid 19 pandemic has seen us all spend much more time in our homes than ever before. They have become our offices, our classrooms, our gyms, our virtual social meeting places, as well as all the things they were before. As the lockdown starts to ease many people are reassessing their homes and how they use them. If the new normal means more homeworking and possibly some home schooling we’re likely to need to use the space we have differently. Some people may be considering a move, and could be looking for more ‘lockdown friendly living’.
If you are currently in the process of selling your home, or considering selling in the near future, you may want to consider the following when presenting your house to potentialbuyers.
Outside space
What outside space do you have? However small it may be it’s worth highlighting – gardens for many have been a great help during lockdown whatever their size. Even if you only have a balcony, it’s worth making it look as attractive as possible, position it as a small oasis, a place of calm. If you have a family home highlight the child friendly aspects of your outside space and the opportunity it provides for play and exercise.
Porches and vestibules
Does your home have a porch or vestibule? Many people like a place where they can deposit their outer clothes and shoes/boots before they enter the main part of a home. Although not scientifically proven that this can help stop the spread of the virus, it’s always a useful feature of any home. Even a hallway/under-stairs cupboard for this purpose is a valid feature. Highlight the convenience, ensure it looks neat and tidy.
Downstairs cloakroom/handwashing facilities
As we are now all encouraged to wash our hands regularly especially when returning from outside/contact with others, having a downstairs toilet/cloakroom is extremely useful. The closer it is to the entrance of your home the better, as it provides easy access to handwashing facilities. Alternatively is there easy access to such facilities from the garden? For example if you have guests outside/people entering your garden (subject to lockdown restrictions and advice).
Home working/home schooling
Your home doesn’t need to have a dedicated home office or study, but if you can demonstrate how working from home could be achieved this could also be a strong selling point. Do the bedrooms have space for a desk? Do you have a wide hallway area, a nook under the stairs that could have space for a desk for home working or studying? Do you have good internet connectivity and are there sufficient sockets around the home for technology. Do you have a suitable backdrop for those all-important Zoom calls and Teams meetings? Highlight a great bookcase or feature wall. Open plan spaces are often well designed for multi-tasking living, butmore traditional homes can lend themselves well to this. A dining room can become a home school or home office, a second sitting room/family room may have space for a small desk or table.
Location and transport links
As we are currently encouraged to be mindful of using public transport think about your location and transport links. Could you easily walk or cycle for a commute if required? What are the road links like? What’s within 5 miles of your property should lockdown be in place again? For example how close are essential shops, green space for exercising, are there cycle routes nearby?
Home exercise and the outdoors
Whilst most of us don’t have the space for a home gym, many of us have taken up exercising at home. Highlight where these spaces may be in your home. They could be in the garden, garage, in a spare room, in a corner of the bedroom. Are you near good cycle or running routes? Are you near a golf course or tennis courts?
Show how adaptable your home is
The property market is reopening, and lockdown has shown that people’s homes really can be their refuge. They are likely to remain so as we move from lockdown and into anew normal. Showing how flexible and adaptable your home can be to meet the needs of ‘lockdown living’ may help attract potential buyers.
To discuss your property services needs contact us at 01224 56 46 36 or property@raeburns.co.uk.
