How to Sell a Home in a Bad Neighborhood

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 22 May 2018 01:45
How to Sell a Home in a Bad Neighborhood Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
Keen to sell your home but worried that your bad neighborhood is scaring buyers away? Whether you live in an area that’s high in crime or just plain ugly, you can see some real difficulties when trying to sell.
 
Luckily, there are a few smart tips which will increase the likelihood of a quick sale at a decent price - and you won’t have to spend a fortune on improvements.

1. Find the Most Attractive Route to Your Home

Is the fastest route to your home also the one that goes through the worst parts of the neighborhood? If that’s the case, don’t direct prospective buyers that way. Instead, plan a route that passes through the most pleasant nearby areas, perhaps going past parks, shops, or other amenities - even if takes a little longer.
 
If you’re holding an open house, place signs strategically to make sure that viewers take the route you want. Head out in your car and test a few prospective routes to get an idea of which will work best. First impressions are everything, so this could make a massive difference.

2. Don’t Spend Too Much on Improvements

If prospective buyers are looking for a home that’s in a less-than-ideal area, there’s a good chance they’re on a tight budget. That means that spending a fortune on a new kitchen and bathroom and expecting a faster sale at a higher price is likely to be counter-productive.
 
Instead, focus on low-cost improvements that will make your home more appealing without driving up the asking price. This could include repainting walls, replacing tired flooring, or even just sprucing things up with a few new pieces of furniture and some accessories.

3. Work to Improve Curb Appeal

There’s no point in planning a great route to your home if viewers are horrified by what they see when they actually arrive. Focusing on curb appeal is a great way to make your home stand out as one of the nicer houses on the street.

Start by cleaning and tidying the front of your home, taking care of the garden, and planting some pretty flowers if there’s space. If you’ve got a porch area, add a light to make your home look more welcoming after dark. If your house itself is looking a little worn from the front, you might consider repainting or hiring a professional for an exterior clean.

4. Use Shrubs and Fences to Screen the Yard

Do you feel as though the houses either side of yours are dragging you down? There’s not much you can do to improve your neighbors' homes, but you can make yours feel as separate as possible. Screen your yard from the rest of the street using fences and shrubs, and try to limit the view of other yards from inside your house. Even on the worst street in the world, it’s possible to make your home feel like a distinct sanctuary away from it all.

5. Consider Selling to an Investor

If you’re really struggling to get buyers, you should consider selling to an investor. This usually means a faster sale at a lower price, so it’s ideal if you’ve already got somewhere to move to. You won’t need to spend money making any improvements to your home since the investor will have their own plans about what to do with it. For the quickest sale, you’ll need an experienced closing attorney from a firm with plenty of real estate experience, like De Bruin Law Firm.

Selling a home in a bad neighborhood isn’t impossible, you just need a good strategy. Follow the tips above to increase your chances of a successful sale.
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