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San Diego Real Estate: The Small Details That Sell Homes


When it comes to selling houses in San Diego, it’s often the small details that really make the biggest difference. For those that want to sell houses in San Diego County, and sell them for the most money, pay attention to some of the finer details. This is especially true for San Diego real estate agents, investors, and homeowners that are selling homes which are most likely to be bought by couples and families. It is these California home buyers that can really be impacted by the details.

So what are they looking for? How can they be won?

Recent surveys suggest the following features are some of the most in-demand items a house can exhibit:

  • Outdoor spaces
  • Chef’s kitchens
  • Views

The Home Crush survey showed both men and women agreed on these options. Yet, most couples look at very different things when it comes to home shopping. You’ll need both partners in your corner and on board if you want to sell a house in San Diego.

A great example of this is seen in evaluating hotel rooms. Both partners can see and value completely opposite things when it comes to a hotel room, even for a couple nights. One partner might be primarily concerned with the cost of the room for the night and maybe how great the Wi-Fi is. They might also appreciate up-to-date bed covers and a modern TV, but largely everything else might be invisible. The other partner might appreciate that there are no cigarette burn holes in the bed covers, but may first run to check and see if the refrigerator is clean, what the bathtub looks like, and take note of whether the baseboards and trim is clean. They may not give much thought to price or color options at all.

Some home buyers can get really quirky about the small details. Sadly, many San Diego Realtors, investors and home sellers don’t get this. They just see a piece of property with four walls and a roof on it. If it is in reasonably good condition and is priced well expect, it to sell without any interference. Reality is way different.

In reality, new San Diego real estate agents can be shocked when they lose clients for half a million dollar homes because the color of the carpet in the third bedroom is awful. You’d think the minor expense of replacing it wouldn’t be a factor, but it can be a deal breaker. In other surveys of home buyers, many respondents have said that they wouldn’t even consider making an offer to purchase a home even just because the beds aren’t made. Ignoring these details can get really expensive when having to show property after property to the same buyers, weekend after weekend without a deal even coming close.

There can be times and occasions when properties can, and perhaps should, be shown before they have been completely rehabbed. However, don’t underestimate the big issues small things can cause. If really going all out to polish a home to sell on the retail market, do just that. Even consider home staging.

Sometimes it can get even quirkier. Some buyers might focus on property taxes, or how much pool maintenance will be: completely neglecting the mortgage itself. You may not be able to change these figures, but you can have all the details handy, and good rebuttals prepared for objections in order to streamline the decision process and fast track converting shopping into closings.

For those that really want to pave the way to gold, recognize the other factors that warrant your consideration: neighbors, location, etc.

Even getting potential buyers to the home makes and breaks deals. This includes the way they are directed, so don’t leave it up to Google or Siri! This doesn’t mean being unethical and taking the back road to hide the fact the home sits right in front of a landfill. However, those that want to really control their destiny have a lot of options to choose from. The vehicle home buyers ride in to get there, what time they are shown the home, and the entire experience all can make a difference. Obviously this requires a significant investment. So it is important for San Diego real estate professionals that do this every day to carefully vet and pre-qualify clients. However, they should be careful not to underestimate individuals and discount those that might be ready to rock.

Of course, the vast majority of home searches begin online. In fact, pretty near 100% of home searches begin online, and over half on mobile devices. This means attention to detail starts online, and even before. Photos are a huge make or break point. How many are you posting and how much effort is put into maximizing the home in them? Are inquiries being responded to immediately? Are those emailing and calling being treated well?

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