What are the most important selling points of a house?

When selling a home it’s important to put yourself into the shoes of a buyer. A home feature that you take for granted may be the one that results in an offer.

While it may be easy to market a magnificent house in Sandton, Houghton or Hyde Park, other property owners aren’t quite so lucky and have to work that much harder to make sure their house sells. Promoting selling points which may not seem mentioning is one way to go about this. The following easy-to-overlook selling points are points that sellers really should highlight.

Staff accommodation:

While new, modern homes may be sought-after, many older homes come with staff accommodation. Staff accommodation is a luxury which most modern homes don’t offer, given the associated additional costs. Even if a buyer doesn’t want to house staff at the property, it’s the kind of feature which could easily be converted into rental space or used to house extended family. In short, if your home has staff accommodation, be sure to highlight it, as it may well be the feature that prompts a buyer into making an offer.

Storage:

Self-storage compounds are popping up all over South Africa, presumably in response to demand for space to store excess belongings. If your property features additional storage features such as a shed, a basement, a few clever, built-in cupboards or even just a large, walk-in pantry make a point of making these known. If all the self-storage units are anything to go by, additional storage space is a real plus point worth promoting.

Additional security features:

Sadly, crime is very much a part of life in South Africa and while most properties tend to have a few basic security measures in place, it pays to advertise the fact if you have additional, beefed up measures or protocols. Additional features worth mentioning potentially include thermal cameras, round-the-clock security patrols, on-site armed response, a home-check service (should you be concerned about a possible intrusion) panic buttons and state-of-the-art motion detection sensors.

Local amenities:

While it may seem obvious, it’s a good idea to highlight your area’s amenities and facilities. There may be many homes which meet a buyer’s price requirements but it may be your area’s amenities, facilities and attractions which set your property apart. Perhaps your property lies within walking distance of a popular shopping centre. Maybe there are sought-after schools or universities which lie within close reach or the area feeds into a major business hub. Whatever the case, don’t assume your buyer is aware of what your area has to offer and make sure these points are highlighted across all promotional material.

Energy efficient / eco-friendly features:

It’s no secret that energy and water costs are increasing. Chances are these costs aren’t going to come down any time soon. With that in mind be sure to promote any energy or eco-friendly features you may have installed, however insignificant they may seem. Buyers are much more attuned to such features as they represent cost savings which can really save them in the long run. Think glazed windows, a borehole, a compost system, a rain water harvesting tank, a grey-water system or additional insulation. Whatever it is, it’s worth mentioning.

It’s a great time to sell your home. Demand is strong and sales are running above the pre-pandemic pace. Inventory is still historically low, but in June it began to rise as more owners listed their homes for sale. As they join the fray and builders bring more new homes to market, buyers will enjoy greater choice, and sellers will have to step up their game in a more competitive environment.

We’ve featured the top 15 features buyers surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders said they wanted in 2021. Some are small projects that you could do yourself fairly quickly and cheaply. Others require more time, money and planning to find and hire contractors and get materials, which can be a tough ask amid a remodeling boom and shortages of albor and materials.

As the housing market continues to rebound, would-be sellers should think twice before skipping out on updating areas of their home in need of serious upgrades. Home buyers are willing to spend big on homes with higher quality finishes in sought-after neighborhoods. "After sheltering in place . . . people [are] ready for change in their homes -- or looking for a new one," says Brian K. Lewis (opens in new tab), a real estate broker with New York City-based realty firm Compass. Make sure your home is in top condition to get the most attention and the highest possible price.

However, you’re unlikely to recoup all of your cost to remodel when you sell. According to Remodeling magazine’s 2021 Cost vs. Value report, sellers were estimated to recoup 48% to 94% of the cost of the 22 projects considered. For example, the average cost of a mid-range bathroom remodel is $24,424 (up from $21,377 in October 2020). You'd recoup about $14,671 (60.1%) of that amount during a resale within a year.

However, the cost of inaction can be far greater than the small loss you'll incur on any home-improvement projects. "Getting stuck in time with your home isn't a smart move and is rarely rewarded financially at sale time," Lewis adds. In fact, it may cause your house to linger on the market longer. As a result, you'll likely have to pay ongoing mortgage, maintenance and staging costs.

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