6 Clever Ways to Make Your Home Offer Stand Out
You've found the house of your dreams and can already picture family cookouts on the back patio. The thought of losing this house is crushing, so how can you grab the seller's attention and make sure your offer breaks away from the rest? When "traditional" methods such as paying in cash or offering above the purchase price just aren't possible, there are still some things you can do to help make your offer the most alluring of them all. This is a great time (especially in a competitive seller's market) to get creative and show the seller just how important the home is to you. Here are a few clever ideas on how to make your offer stand out!
1. Write a Letter
Writing a letter to the home seller is one of the go-to creative ways to help your offer stand out among many other offers. The goal is to make yourself and/or your family seem tangible and connect on a human level rather than just another faceless purchase offer. Let the seller know why you love the house so much and be specific about how you can see your family making it into a home (example: making s'mores around the backyard fire pit or cooking dinner together as a family in the spacious kitchen).
2. Make a Video
If you really want to up your game, consider putting your videography skills to work and making a video. Along the same train of thought about writing a letter to accompany your purchase offer, this is a time to personalize your family to the seller. Getting creative here will definitely pay off! You may decide to "interview" your kids about why they love the home and then show a humorous clip of your family having grown out of space in your current home. Or maybe narrate your favorite four-legged pal getting excited about a fenced-in back yard. Do your best to connect with the seller and as an added bonus, give them a chuckle!
3. Offer a Short-term Leaseback
While some sellers may be hot-to-trot when it comes to selling their home and moving on, there are many sellers who would greatly appreciate just a bit more time to pack up their home and say goodbye. Including the option in your offer to allow for a sale-leaseback may be just what the seller needs to choose your offer over the others. A sale-leaseback (AKA sell and stay) is where a seller sells their home and then rents it back from the new owner for an agreed-upon price and duration. And, depending on the situation, it can be a win-win for all involved.
4. Don't Ask for Anything "Extra"
We know, the gorgeous dining room table looks like it was created just for the space (and it probably was!) BUT if you're hoping to make your offer more desirable than all of the others, don't request that it be left behind. Although it's a common practice to ask for certain items to be built into the cost of purchasing a home, unless it's made very clear by the sellers that they would like to sell something with the home, it's best to not muddy the waters with additional requests. After all, it could be the deciding factor between your offer and the person who DID ask for great-grandmas dining room table.
5. Take the Home "As-is"
Remember how a home inspection will be completed on a home before the home sale is final? Well, if it's expected that a home will receive many offers you may consider building into your offer that the inspection will be done as a formality only and that barring any major issues (such as termites) you will not request that any out of pocket expenses be resolved by the seller. This is especially attractive to sellers as completing home fixes can take more time and money than many sellers wish to spend. Although an attractive offer, make sure that you fully discuss this option with your Real Estate Agent to make sure it's the right option for your situation.
6. Sweeten the Pot
When all else fails think about what you might be able to offer the seller to help sweeten the deal. Own a dog walking business? Or maybe you're a hairstylist? The icing on the cake for some sellers may be a competitive purchase offer accompanied by an additional offer of free dog walks for a year or free haircuts for life. Now that would be a sweet deal!
Yes, it may seem like a lot of extra work, but getting creative may be the difference in your offer being accepted over another. After all, nothing can beat a great purchase offer paired with a personal touch reminding the seller that their home being left behind will be loved and appreciated. Now, get creative and good luck!
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