5 Steps on How to Sell Your Green Home Faster and Get More Money

There is nothing like that profoundly satisfying feeling of living in a environmentally friendly built home.  You can also be one of the many of people who have retrofitted and older residence and updated it with sustainable materials.  Undeniably, this type of home is not only a a true sanctuary but also a a great deal healthier space to stay. 

With years though you might find yourself in a circumstances where you have got to part with your much beloved house for excellent.  The only pickle is you’ve tied up quite a bit of money into it and now have a bit of an apprehension whether you will be able to regain the investment.  So how do you unearth a purchaser now that will actually buy into your excitement and cash out extra dough to buy your eco-friendly pad?

Recent market trends and a growing sentiment that green living brings about positive effects on your health and the environment is bound to be the reasons for your success.  While more data still needs to be gathered from all over the country, we are gradually learning how green homes are in fact selling faster and receive top dollar.

GreenWorks Realty in Washington State decided to investigate whether the eviro-certified homes, or “ECert” as they call them, sell any better.  Surprisingly, the results showed they flew off the market 18% faster and sold for 29-37% higher value per square foot.  The cause this type of records is not available from all Counties yet is exceedingly simple – local Multiple Listing Services (MLS) have not incorporated the energy efficiency and “eco smart” features into their records search fields.  For now, we must remain patient and wait until all listing boards update their search fields and provide more data supporting our hopes. 

Before you simply smack your property on the MLS with a realty company, you’ll need to sincerely consider and select a winning strategy.  After all, your home has so much to offer but how do you find a buyer who “gets it”?  Who and where are these folks in the first place?  Be ready to expose your home to three different mindsets:

1. Economizers.  This is the type that is interested in savings on the operational costs and energy efficiency.  Also in this category are investors who are eyeing at life-cycle cost analysis and the value of various green features that can enhance their cash flow.  For economizers the almighty cash is the ruler and all the rest of the environmental fanaticism is secondary.   

2. Idealists.  This is your archetypal Organicsons family.  They take eco friendly living very seriously and believe that conservation of resources and preserving the planet is a social responsibility.  They are willing to surrender some comforts for more eco wise lifestyle choices.  The Organicsons are also very wellbeing conscious and easily appreciate health benefits of living in a green residence. 

3. Eco-Chic (pronounced – Eco-Shique) – these are the brand chasing Paris Hilton breeds who go after the most recent fads and believe that living environmentally friendly is just plain “tight”.  They are engrossed in the status and prestige of eco friendly living but may not necessarily truly subscribe to the green mind set.  The newest eco wise gadgets or installing the hottest eco smart feature in their homes and looking fashionable is more imperative than having a positive effect on the ecosystem.  Frankly, who cares… they get to be hip and the earth benefits also. 

When designing a marketing strategy, be aware that eco friendly choice is not a one hat fits all style of tactic.  Certain buyers could fit neatly into one of these categories and certain ones will have a character of all three.  The recipe is to be aware of all of their desires and wishes when selling a home. 

Here are the action steps you’ll want to take to trade your home fast and for a higher value:

1. Locate a real estate agent who clearly understands the challenge you are facing.  Your Realtor should have one of the two designations: NAR’s GREEN or EcoBroker.  They have proper training and understand the mindset of a green house buyer.  More importantly, search for an agent to whom “eco friendly” is not just a marketing word but a passion.  Examine their knowledge on broader issues than home selling to get an idea of who you’ll be working with.

2. Collect all the receipts and proof of environmentally friendly remodeling or construction and put a binder together for the purchaser.  If you have one, produce your Home Energy Ratings (HER) report; it’ll demonstrate how much more efficient your house really is.  Make it clear and tangible information that they can take to the bank.

3. Clearly identify the value and Return on Investment (ROI) for the environmentally friendly improvements you’ve made.  Make sure a three year old can recognize why they should pay more for this residence.  For illustration, demonstrate that the property could have 100-350 dollars in energy savings when it comes to a classic dated mammoth down the street.  This could contribute up to 3,000 in savings per year.  Make sure your real estate agent has the skillfulness to communicate this data and sell the value.  Put together a video clarifying all the benefits of owning this home and recommend more resources like links or magazines for the buyers to get more education about the features that your dwelling has to offer.

4. Avoid using words like “green” or “eco friendly” on all of your marketing collateral.  Do not even use it on the MLS narrative.  Consumers are absolutely over stimulated with empty environmental slogans.  Keep in mind, you did not make this home “green”, you made it more energy and resource efficient.  Sell benefits, not hype. 

5. Create excitement.   Don’t endeavor to sell your dwelling in the habitual way.  Eco friendly buyers are typically a younger crowd, that like to be pleasantly surprised before they buy anything.  Stage your residence mindfully to show exceedingly obviously that you  living in it very much.  Most realtors recommend to depersonalize the house.  In general this is good advice but here you are going for a slightly different approach.  Share a story of what inspired you to make this property green and what benefits it brought to your family and your health. 

When all is considered, most buyers will cash out more for your dwelling for the same motivation they will jump on a waiting list and pay a premium to get a hybrid auto.  After all is taken into account, everything seems to make good sense.  If you pick the right Realtor to represent you and go along with these steps you should have no issues selling your residence 25% faster than a regular time frame and at a minimum of 5% higher than other homes on the block.  Much success!