Tips For Selling Your Home Charleston SC: Words Are Worth Thousands

Here are some interesting tips for selling your home Charleston SC. These aren’t the usual “clean and de-clutter” tips, but they show that even the smallest details matter when trying to sell your home.

This comes from an article by Catherine Sherman over on Zillow titled “15 Words That Could Add Value To Your Listing”.

The listing description really does matter when selling a house. Unfortunately, many agents treat it as an afterthought. Think about it for a second.

When your home is listed, it gets on the internet and winds up in many places. Whatever ends up on the MLS ends up in cyberspace.

This is great because thanks to technology, your home listing can get a lot of exposure to home buyers.

However, with all the eyeballs on your listing, it really matters what they see.

It is important to have a lot of good quality pictures. This will capture and retain buyers interest and helps them visualize what the house looks like.

This is why having a virtual tour is so important. If all they see is one or two pictures, statistics show they will quickly move on to the next listing.

Which brings us back to the listing description. A short, vague description will do you no justice. In this case, more is better.

However, what if certain words had a greater impact on buyers? And what if certain words could net you more money in the sale of your home?

A new market analysis,  “Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate” by Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries, discovers that listings using certain words in the description tend to sell for more than expected.

Take for instance the word luxurious:

“Bottom-tier homes described as luxurious tend to beat their expected sale price by a whopping 8.2 percent.

Top-tier homes described as captivating tend to beat theirs by 6.5 percent. That means, if your home’s estimated home value is $110,000, but your listing includes the key word ‘luxurious,’ you could pocket an extra $8,965.”

 

 

Of course, if your home is a burnt down mobile home, you probably won’t benefit by describing it as luxurious.

However, here is the list of top words to use, so if they can apply to your home in some realistic manner, then you should include them.

1. Luxurious

As mentioned above, lower-priced listings with the word “luxurious” sold for 8.2 percent more on average than expected. “Luxurious” signals that a home’s finishes and amenities are high-end. This is a huge selling point, particularly in this price range.

2. Captivating

Top-tier listings described as “captivating” sold for 6.5 percent more on average than expected. Unlike the word “nice,” “captivating” provides a richer, more enticing description for buyers. Plus, it’s less open to interpretation. Anything can be seen as “nice,” but “captivating” sets a high bar.

3. Impeccable

On average, listings in the bottom tier with the word “impeccable” sold for 5.9 percent more than expected. Like “captivating,” “impeccable” is a rich adjective. It also implies something about the quality of a home: The features are desirable and the home is move-in ready.

4. Stainless

“Stainless” is typically used to describe kitchens with “stainless steel appliances.” It’s in your favor to talk up these features in your listing — especially if your home is in the bottom price tier. In our analysis, lower-priced homes with the word “stainless” sold for 5 percent more on average than expected.

Ok, here’s a real head scratcher:

5. Basketball

On average, lower-priced homes with the word “basketball” sold for 4.5 percent more than expected.

This may seem like an odd word to include in this list, but when you consider the context it makes sense.

Among lower-priced homes, a basketball court — or even better, an indoor basketball court — is a huge selling point. While it may not stand out as much among higher-priced homes, it’s definitely worth mentioning in this price range.

6. Landscaped

It’s just as valuable to describe your yard as your house. In all price tiers, listings with the word “landscaped” sold for more than expected on average.

The biggest premium was seen among lower-priced listings, which on average sold for 4.2 percent more than expected.

7. Granite

In the same vein as “stainless,” “granite” is typically used to describe countertops or another high-end home feature. Listings with the word “granite” sold, on average, for 1 to 4 percent more than expected across all price tiers.

8. Pergola

Not only should you include high-end home features in your listing description, you should also mention features not found in every home.

They’ll help your listing stand out, especially if buyers are searching for homes online by keyword. The data shows mid-priced listings with the word “pergola” sold for 4 percent more on average than expected.

9. Remodel

Was your home recently remodeled? It may be worth mentioning.

On average, bottom-tier listings with the word “remodel” sold for 2.9 percent more, middle-tier homes for 1.8 percent more and top-tier homes for 1.7 percent more than expected.

10. Beautiful

While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a beautiful feature like a view may be worth noting. Lower-priced listings with the word “beautiful” sold for 2.3 percent more on average than expected.

11. Gentle

“Gentle” may seem like a weird adjective to have in a listing description. It’s typically used to describe “gentle rolling hills” or something about a home’s location. Top-tier listings with the word “gentle” sold for 2.3 percent more, on average, than expected.

12. Spotless

You may think all homes are spotless when a buyer moves in, so it’s not worth mentioning in a listing. But when it comes to lower-priced homes, cleanliness isn’t always a given. In this price range, listings described as “spotless” sold for 2 percent more on average than expected.

13. Tile

Much like “stainless” and “granite,” “tile” is a great word when it comes to describing the features of your home.

A newly tiled backsplash or updated bathroom tile not only indicates a home’s aesthetic value but also sends a message to buyers that the home’s been well cared for by the current owners.

Bottom-tier homes with the word “tile” in the listing sold for 2 percent more on average than expected.

14. Upgraded

On average, lower-priced listings with the word “upgraded” sold for 1.8 percent more than expected. Most buyers will agree that upgrades are a selling point.

They indicate a home not only looks nice but also functions well. Spelling out which features have been updated is a good approach, so buyers have the right expectations when they see your home.

15. Updated

“Updated” sends a similar message to “upgraded.” But in addition to speaking to the quality of a home, it signals that something old has been replaced with something new.

This is a great fact to communicate to potential buyers, as evidenced by the data. Mid-priced homes with “updated” in the listing sold for 0.8 percent more on average than expected.

Bottom line, simply inserting these words will not make your house sell for more. If that were the case, then this would be the million dollar description:

“This luxurious, captivating upgraded and updated beautiful remodel is ready for you!

It is spotless and impeccable and features stainless appliances, granite counter tops, tile and has professionally landscaped gentle rolling hills with a pergola.

Also features an luxurious indoor basketball court. Listed at $200,000 but we will take a million.”

For many of the words, you wouldn’t use them if they didn’t apply (no granite=no granite). And if your home isn’t luxurious, well then it is not luxurious. But would it be a stretch for it to be captivating?

I’m sure right now you are thinking what I am thinking–how can I get “basketball” in there?

For any current or new listings you could say “watch March Madness basketball tournament in the luxurious, captivating family room”.

In all seriousness, you can see that certain features resonate with buyers. Some simple upgrades could make all of the difference.

New appliances aren’t cheap, but they could net you more money, and be the reason buyers choose your house over the one down the street (instead of the opposite).

With Spring upon us, the landscaping could be a really smart decision–this will really boost your curb appeal, and look great in online pictures.

Chances are, most other listings don’t have fresh landscaping. This can be a minor investment that could really pay off.

If you are thinking of selling your home, then it is important to hire the right agent. The listing description really does matter. Bee sure to visit my Pam Marshall Realtor website for more helpful information and tips for selling your home Charleston SC.