How to Sell Eco-Homes
As more and more people get to grips with climate change and the implications it is likely to have on all our lives in the future, there is likely to be a big increase in the popularity of sustainable housing and so-called eco homes.
Of course, that won’t help you if you are looking to sell an eco-home right now, but these tried and tested tips, however, just might:
Appeal to their values
As an estate agent, you will undoubtedly know that buying a property, for most people, is not just s transactional experience, it is also a deeply personal and emotional experience too. This could be good news for you when it comes to selling a home with eco credentials. Why? Because you can play to the values of the buyer.
Obviously, it won’t work for everyone, but there are many people who do want to help the environment in any way they can. So if you can stress just how much carbon those Solar PV panels on the roof save or you can point out how the kitchen was made from reclaimed wood instead of freshly felled trees, you may just convince them to take the plunge.
Of course, this only works if they know what the environmental feature of the home is, so do not be afraid to list things like solar panels, energy-efficient insulation and reclaimed wood kitchen cabinets if you think that it will help.
Focus on the financial benefits
Did you know that the average household can save approximately £339 each year if they get their electricity from solar panels, or that good insulation can save homeowners around £245 per year on their heating bills?
This is really important, especially right now with bills going through the roof. So, if you want to sell that eco-home, it would be a really good idea to do your homework and work out, on average, how much money each of the home’s individual eco-friendly features could save the homeowner.
Even if they aren’t particularly concerned with environmental issues, most buyers will be very interested in saving money, especially in the coming years, so this is a really good way to bring those features up in the most positive light possible.
Talk about longevity and explain features
When people are not familiar with something, they are often wary of it, which is why, if you are looking to sell a home with lots of modern eco-features, it is really important that you take the time to stress how well made they are and how long they will last, if that is true, of course!
Most well made eco-features from solar panels to reduced flow showers are extremely well built because the companies who produce them are all about sustainability, which means they will last just as long, if not longer than traditional alternatives.
As well as stressing how well made and how long they will last, if the buyer does not understand how, say a reduced pressure shower works, put their mind at ease by explaining it to them. Yes, you might have to do some research yourself, but if it enables you to make that sale as swiftly as possible, it will undoubtedly be worth it.
Be honest
Of course, it is always important to be as honest as possible when trying to make a sale, so it is not a good idea to try and oversell the green credentials of an eco-home, it can be tempting to big up the simplest additions, such as LED lights, but most people will have them in their homes and not consider them to be particularly eco-friendly, so you should only really highlight the things that will make a big difference, such as the solar panels or triple glazed windows in regards to eco-credentials, and mention the little things incidentally. This will help you to steer clear of greenwashing which… well simply does not wash with the vast majority of people, especially those who care about this kind of stuff and will turn people off and possibly prevent them from trusting you as a seller.
As you can see, selling eco-homes that have a lot of features that most standards homes of not have, does not have to be more difficult, and in fact, it could be even easier to sell them than your other properties, it’s all about having the right mindset and focusing on the benefits of sustainable features instead of treating them like something weird and unusual. Good luck!
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