So you’ve built a house (or homes). You want to sell it. Surely the buyers will come straight to you?
Unfortunately you need to be a bit savvier in order to compete in today’s new homes’ market.
Times are changing, and home buyers want a lot more for their money. How homes are sold has also changed and it’s no longer enough to place a photo and description with a local estate agent. That is unless you aim to get lost in the crowd.
Here are our top tips to help you not just stand out, but secure that all important sale.
Before you even begin to build its crucial you get the design right. Think about who your target buyer will be. How many rooms will they want, what additional features would they like?
Thinking of these before the build will not only give you the best start at ensuring a fast sale, but should also save you money in the long run having a complete plan in place.
Be careful however that your design meets all current building control and warranty regulations. If you need help we can assist you with this before the build starts. Our plan check team will work with you to review your designs and offer knowledge and advice to ensure that the time between design, build and completion flows seamlessly without compliance complications.
Using estate agents can be an effective way to sell your new build houses and there are hundreds out there to choose from, but it’s important you find the right one to work for you.
Don’t go with the one that values your development at the highest price, place your business with one that has great connections with your target market, has a proven track record and can give you the most value. You will save money in the long term.
Make sure that you approve every detail in how they are selling your property, and that the correct marketing material is set up, such as high end sales brochures and great photography. You can also look into design and photography agencies that could produce these for you if you’re not happy with the estate agent’s work.
It’s important, however, that before you photograph your development you take time to style/stage it correctly. A well styled image of a home is the first thing that attracts a buyer in their search. You can hire professional Home Stagers to do this for you; however, if you have a low budget you can do this yourself. Research the style tastes of your target market, hire in or use furniture that you already have, and above all remember that less is more.
You don’t have to only rely on agents to sell your developments, there are lots of other channels you can use, it all depends on how creative you want to be.
Most home buyers look online to find their new home so online channels are the way forward if you want to get noticed.
This can be as simple as creating business pages on social networks such as facebook or twitter. And this doesn’t have to be at the end of the build process. Get clients interested from the moment you put the first spade in the ground and document the build journey online. And if you have a little budget why not pay for advertising space on these networks too. It’s amazing the audience you can reach through these on a very small budget.
Another option may be to create your own website dedicated to the development or your company. And if you’re not tech savvy… don’t worry. Applications like Wordpress or Wix make it simple and are free. All you have to do is choose a design template, fill it with content and publish. Everything you want your target market to know about your developments will be online in 3 easy steps.
This is an important question to ask, and can make your offering so much more than just a house.
Is the location special?
Are there additional features to the house?
Do you have an after sale service?
Have you placed a warranty on the property for your and their security?
Do you have a Home Information Pack?
Does your warranty provider offer additional home buyers’ protection via the Consumer Code for Home Builders?
Whatever the answer to these, make them known. A potential seller won’t know these things unless you make it obvious to them. Putting a sales package together may give you an advantage over another supplier.
You don’t only have to rely on external sales channels to sell your properties; you can also do a lot right where they are standing.
Rather than the traditional ‘for sale’ sign, why not create a banner, some flags or site boards to let potential buyers passing by that the property is available for sale. Open weekends are also a great way to get lots of potential customers in to view the development.
You can also promote your Premier Guarantee warranty on site, letting potential buyers know that it is a quality development. We have a whole host of free marketing material for your site, just contact us and we will be happy to help.
If you would like to find out more about our warranty and the services we can offer you, get in touch with us on 08444 120 888