For Sale By Owner – How to Market Your House With a Local Area Guide

Many home buyers look at dozens of houses in their search for the perfect home.  How can you make yours stand out from the rest, make it appealing and memorable?

One of the marketing methods you can use to sell people on the value & benefits of your home is to create a custom local area guide that’s specific to your home address.

Think of it as a guide for what buyers could expect if they were to purchase your house.  Chances are a lot of this information has already been compiled in local magazines or other guides; all you have to do is customize it for your address.

Here are some of the things you may want to cover:

Schools 
List the public schools that kids would attend if they lived in the house.  Cover the distance to the school, awards it has won, & programs it offers.  In addition list private schools in the area and their details.

Fitness & Sports
Build a list of the gyms and sports facilities in the surrounding area. Mention parks, running trails, and bike paths. You can also cover the youth sports possibilities in your area.

Entertainment
Dining – Give the most popular restaurants across a variety of different cuisines, mention a few local spots close by, and let out the secret of your favorite restaurant.  Talk about a mix of fancy/pricey places and also a few cheap/fast ones.

Movies – Going to the movies is universal entertainment. List both movie theatres and movie rental stores in the area.

Performing Arts – For the more culturally minded people cover the various concerts and plays available.

Medical
Medical facilities are a major concern to many people.  List the community hospitals, how far away they are, and any particular specializations or awards.

Transportation
Getting in and out of the neighborhood is important to everyone. Review the common access paths to your home and talk about your commute. List the highways.  Mention the public transport options and even carpooling choices.

Neighborhood Updates
Everyone wants to know about their neighbors.  Don’t include names but you can talk about the people that live around you.  Cover the community that exists in your area and what kind of events they have.

Utility Services
Who are the trash, recycling, water, and energy providers for your area?  What are their rates and what kind of service have you experienced?

Local Area Marketing Guide – Summary
Of course not every prospective home buyer will have the same needs but  the more you cover, the more people you stand a chance to reach. You can hand out a copy of the local area guide to every potential buyer that visits your home to give them a better feel for the area.

Personalize the local guide as much as possible and mention specifics whenever you can. Remember the idea is to paint your home in a positive light. If your commute downtown is 1.5 hours one way, you might not want to highlight that fact.  If they ask for the detail, share it with them, you just don’t have to publicize it in your guide. Next time in the For Sale by Owner Tips series we’ll look further at marketing your home.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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