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Home Sales Increase Retail Sales in Multiple Industries

Posted by Andrew Donahey | Thu, Jun 04, 2015 @ 12:00 PM

Home_for_SaleNow that pending home sales have hit their highest level in nine years, building supply and landscaping nursery owners and managers may want to prepare for homeowners improving their property for sale.

Today, selling a home requires that most homeowners consider their house as a commodity with a certain value that they must present in as attractive a light as possible – and you are the retail resource that can help them the most. 

Location, Price and Most Importantly … Condition

Location, condition, and price are the three biggest factors affecting how quickly a house sells. Homeowners can't do a thing about location after they’ve purchased their home, and price is going to be determined by prevailing market conditions. The condition of a home, however, is something the homeowner can control, and many are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to make their house look its best when it's time to sell. 

To make their house look its best for the market (aside from a property inspection, stashing your stuff, and researching like a buyer), the typical homeowner makes multiple trips to a host of building materials and landscaping providers.

Garden Centers and Curb Appeal

First impressions are incredibly important to home buyers, and it all starts at the edges of the property. At the very least, existing landscaping must be cleaned up, and any junk on porches or in yards needs to be disposed of. Other things homeowners do to boost curb appeal include adding seasonal container plants, repairing walkways, banishing weeds and even repainting the address numbers on, well … the curb.

If you run a nursery, you may have quite a few customers who are trying to sell their homes, and there's a lot you can do to put their minds at ease. First though, make it known by every visitor that you specialize in helping homeowners sell their homes. Answering their questions is important, as is helping them make smart landscaping decisions. If you don’t offer a service you know they need, be quick with a referral.

Hardware and Home Improvement Stores Assist Sellers

Getting a house in good repair is essential to maximizing its appeal to home buyers. Faucets shouldn't drip, paint shouldn't peel, and lights should work properly. Home improvement and hardware stores can be of tremendous help to the homeowner preparing to sell. This is true whether they are comfortable doing DIY maintenance and repairs, or if they're afraid to try anything harder than adding a coat of paint.

You can make your store the obvious one to come back to with your product offerings, knowledgeable service, and by making paying you as flexible as possible for the customer. Don’t hesitate to accept checks, particularly knowing that the 2013 Federal Reserve Payments Study found that one in five consumers prefers to pay by check for purchases over $100.

Providers of Housewares and Cleaning Gear Help with Staging

A house may be in good repair with a neatly landscaped exterior, but it still needs to be clean, decluttered, and appealing to all the senses. Stores that offer storage containers, closet organizing systems, cleaning products and tools, and soft furnishings like pillows, drapes, and rugs help homeowners put the finishing touches into place before the listing goes live. As with landscaping and home repairs, home staging preparation can require multiple trips to multiple stores to get everything just right. 

Here Comes Summer!

Spring and summer are prime times that homes go on the market because it's less likely that lousy weather will keep home buyers from venturing out, and summer sunshine and greenery helps houses look their best.

Offering customers payment options can reduce some of the stresses of what is often a trying time for homeowners. The right check guarantee service offers you the security you need when accepting checks and lets you offer your customers the convenience they need when paying.

To help close the sale be sure to offer a multiple check service, so customers have the option of paying with multiple checks, over time, matching their outlay to their cash flow. With multiple check, there is no interest, no credit check and customers take the product home same day. For more information, click below.

Check Guarantee Insider's Guide

Topics: Retail, Home Furnishings, Building Materials, Increase Sales

Written by Andrew Donahey

Marketing Director Andrew Donahey leads a dedicated group of digital marketing specialists that generates relevant content for the financial services sector. He also collects vintage “anything” and has a Golden Retriever kennel.