Lancaster & Morecambe 01524 843322
Posted on Saturday, March 24, 2018
Address: Sulby Drive, Greaves
Price: £210,000
Number of viewings: 14
Number of offers: 2
We were originally invited to value this home back in Spring 2016. We already knew the property, we had valued it in previous years and the family that lived had there had bought it through our agency 12 years previously.
Our valuation went well, we shared our secret top tips on how to present your home for sale. They told us how pleased they were with our service when they bought the property from us 12 years earlier. Even the next door neighbour had spoken highly of us and recommended that they call us out. Sadly, they decided to go with a smaller, cheaper estate agent. They thanked me for the tips, even said they will still use them but ultimately the other estate agent was cheaper and they had explained that they do the exact same us. I was upset. I knew we could sell this home. I truly believe all estate agents are not the same. We agreed to keep in touch, after all - when she did sell, she would also be a buyer. Hopefully, we could sell them their next home!
It would be almost 11 months before we met this family again. In this time they had tried the market and decided to take it off the market due to lack of interest and give it a rest over the Christmas period. They had children and wanted to enjoy the festive season without the stresses and worry about their home. They still, however, needed to move. The kids were getting bigger and they needed a bigger home. They were now feeling despondent. They felt they had followed all our advice.
We discussed their lack of interest and identified who their likely buyer was to be. To do this we discussed what we call a buyer profile. Once you know who your buyer is likely to be - it is easier to target your marketing to this group of people. We created an image of ideal buyer. We set out to find them, not just using an online marketing strategy but also a specifically targeted buyer campaign. We focussed on potential buyers who were viewing 3-bed semi-detached homes in neighbouring Bowerham and Scotforth. After all - for similar money, they could get a detached home in Greaves!
The old photographs felt cold, dull, dark and uninviting. The home instantly looked better with fresh, brighter ones. We wrote compelling copy for their brochure and focussed on the extra additions this home offered. These were going to be key reasons to attract the next buyer. We also dealt with what they felt was their biggest negative. The small garden. By featuring this prominently - we turned it into a positive. Not everyone wants to spend their weekends gardening - plus it had enough space to sit and enjoy the summer weather and for younger children to play. We were happy with our launch.
Our launch went to plan. We had viewing interest almost straight away and from 90% of the viewings fell into our ideal client theory. Feedback was positive. Only 1 viewer felt the garden was too small. Our bigger problem now was most viewers still had a house to sell. However, within 12 weeks, we found our buyer and a sale was officially agreed!
Is your home struggling to sell? Would a fresh a pairs of eyes give a different perspective? I'm Michelle Gallagher. We've been selling homes in Lancaster & Morecambe since 1989. We want to help you move and get the best price for your home. If you'd like to have a chat over a cup of coffee, please get in touch. We are here to help. Call us on 01524 843322.
