Hands up, which of us hasn’t at some point indulged in a bit of fantasy property shopping either in interiors magazines or on the property portals? Or perhaps you’ve been glued to Selling Sunset on Netflix. If you have, then you are likely to have been looking at properties that you would like to live in but can’t afford. You are looking at properties that you aspire to own rather than ones you would be looking at if you were house hunting in real life. If you are planning to put your home on the market, imagine that your buyers have been doing the same. Try to picture your home as if you had never been in it before, walk round as if it was the first time. Is it appealing, is it a home that you would aspire to live in?
What Is Aspiration?
According to the Oxford Dictionary Aspiration is:-
a hope or ambition of achieving something.
So what do I mean by aspiration in the context of marketing your home for sale? I’m talking about those things that you say you would want the property to have if you were asked to describe your dream home. For example, I would love an indoor swimming pool. More realistically, I would like a big kitchen/diner with an island and a seating area. That is an aspiration. It suggests a lifestyle. The aim is to persuade the viewer that they want to live in your home, to inspire the reaction “I want to buy it”.
Why Is It Important?
It may sound obvious, but the aim when you sell your home is that you want viewers to come in to your home and want to buy it. Buyers have a choice, depending on the state of the market and the type of property they are looking for, there could be a varying number of properties that potentially could fulfil their criteria. You want them to choose your property over the competition.
This means that your home needs to stand out, you want to generate that “buy me” feeling. You know, that feeling you get when you walk in to a shop and you see something that you “have to have” – it might be the latest iPhone or a pair of shoes for example.
Not everyone finds it easy to picture how a room or a home can be with their belongings in it. You need to create a sense of how the buyer’s life will be if they buy the property.
How To Create It
The first thing to do is identify your target market. This is something I have referred to in previous blogs but it’s something that you have to have at the forefront of your mind when selling. If you aren’t sure then ask your estate agent. Ask yourself what would the buyers who represent your target market aspire to in their home? Think back to when you bought the property, was there something about it that represented an aspiration. Can you provide it? I understand that it may not be possible or cost effective to make major changes but more modest alterations e.g. creating an en suite may add value. At the present time, presenting a room as a home office or even creating a designated workspace area could be just what your buyers want. However, in most cases I am talking about more subtle touches that act on a more subliminal level. Quality taps or handles, luxurious towels in a bathroom, branded toiletries, luxury scented candles. It could be a collection of jigsaws or board games on a shelf or table in a family room.
Aspiration is something you desire, it is important when selling your home because you want buyers to choose your property over the competition and you should create the sense of aspiration appropriate to your buyers.
Are you struggling and need help to create that aspirational home then call me on 07745 876182 or e mail me at judith@homestyle4u.com I cover the Wirral, Cheshire, North Wales and the NorthWest. I can also offer consultations remotely via the telephone or video link.