By Glenn Murray, Director of Divine Write Copywriting
The recent property boom has a lot of people thinking
of selling. Unfortunately, the costs of selling can
really eat into your profit. Theres nothing we
can do about stamp duty, but one cost we can avoid is
real estate agent fees. By selling your house yourself
rather than paying a real estate agent, you can save
you around $20,000 on a $500,000 sale.
So whats involved in a do-it-yourself sale? The
two main ingredients are time and advertising. A quality
ad and a couple of hours each week fielding phone calls
and managing inspections can mean the difference between
a healthy profit and disappointment.
Many people are intimidated by the marketing aspect
of selling their home. But theres really not that
much to it. You just need to write a description of
your property, organise photography, and place an ad.
Simple!
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when organising
your own sale is youre not selling a building
- youre selling a home and a lifestyle. Here are
10 Tricks of the trade to get you started
- Jot down your favourite spots in the house
and what you like to do in them.
- List your favourite local restaurants, cafes,
and beaches especially those in walking distance.
- Note any pleasant fragrances plants
like jasmine and gardenia, or evening sea breezes.
- Mention your favourite spot for a morning coffee,
an afternoon snooze, or an evening wine.
- Write about 150 words.
- Dont include cars, garbage bins, or the road
in your photos.
- Tidy your house and remove any clutter before
taking inside shots.
- Capture colour both inside and out, but keep
it simple.
- Take digital photos and save to CD so you
wont need a bureau for scanning and production.
- Invest in a prominent newspaper ad and make
use of the Internet.
Even if you dont feel up to the challenge of
creating a masterpiece ad, you can employ the services
of a professional for far less than the cost of a real
estate agent. A professional copywriter will write an
engaging description for as little as $250. Professional
photographers do real estate all the time. Neville Prosser
can give you all the captivating photos you need for
just $330. You can get a glossy 1/8 page ad in the Central
Coast Express Advocate for $628 or a ½ page ad
$2514. And to advertise online at Domain.com.au will
only cost you $165 for a full month.
Whether you do all the creative work yourself or employ
a professional, youll still save thousands. Whats
more, with great advertising, youll interest more
potential buyers and maybe even sell your house for
more.
The most important thing to remember at every step
along the way is
Average advertising conveys a
building. Quality advertising conveys a home.