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Selling houses in an uncertain market, as we find ourselves in today, is challenging. Maybe we should stop trying to sell the house and instead focus on the positive impact it will have on our buyers’ lives.
This is the approach Mars Inc. used to sell its Snickers bar. The ad campaign “You’re not you when you’re hungry” debuted as a Super Bowl ad in 2010 and featured Betty White. My personal favorite is the Marcia Brady version from 2015. This is considered one of the most successful ad campaigns of the 21st century and has resulted in a double-digit increase in sales.
What is significant is the company didn’t talk about how delicious the candy bar is or that it has peanuts, caramel, and chocolate. Instead, it focused on the consumer and the effect the candy bar would have on them.
Can we apply that same approach to selling a home?
Wouldn’t it be a powerful sales tool if our houses improve our buyers’ lives? Houses today are packed with innovative features designed to make our lives easier, more convenient, and better aligned with our current lifestyle.
Chore Spaces
Let’s start with the “chore” spaces: kitchens and laundry rooms. Both have changed dramatically over the past decade, but we’ll focus on the ways they can make our buyers’ lives easier.
The kitchen is the most powerful place to have a positive effect on buyers and arguably the most crucial space in our homes. People often come home already tired from the day, and they then need to prepare the evening meal. Is cooking fun for this buyer? Or is it a stressful balancing act of preparing food in a cramped kitchen isolated from the kids or family members, all while trying not to run over someone who wants to grab something out of the refrigerator?
The empty-nester buyer may enjoy cooking, but would consider it more fun if they could work in an “entertaining” kitchen. Family buyers and empty nesters alike will benefit from a kitchen that is open to the adjacent family room and casual eating area, so those preparing the food aren’t isolated. The kitchen island also allows this, along with dual access points to and from the kitchen that make it easier to have people in the space—whether they are helping to prepare the meal or cleaning up after it. Adding a scullery or “messy kitchen” alcove off the main space keeps small messes and the clutter of small appliances out of sight.
Perhaps you’ve seen some oversized pantries large enough for a second refrigerator. While a second refrigerator isn’t revolutionary, locating it in a more convenient place, instead of the garage or the basement, is relatively new. A larger pantry also allows homeowners the freedom and convenience to buy in bulk, thanks to its oversized storage capacity.
Next is the laundry room. No one likes to do laundry, but it is a necessary evil. Many builders today offer a “connected laundry” space. This is a laundry room with two doors—one to the hall and one that connects directly to the primary bedroom closet, providing quick, convenient access to the clothes. The time and distance for dirty clothes to go to the laundry room and clean clothes to return to the closet can be cut dramatically with this setup. This is a radical departure from houses where the laundry room was in the basement or just off the garage—often the opposite end of where the clean and dirty closets are located. Don’t forget to add a place for wet-hanging inside the laundry room for items that don’t do well in the dryer. Finally, let’s make the laundry room as pleasant as possible with natural light and upgraded finishes.
Post-Pandemic Solutions
The pandemic lockdown had a profound effect on us all, and our houses needed to perform differently. One key change was the need to work from home. Many buyers found they really liked the convenience of working from home and avoiding the stress of commuting to the office, but they discovered that working from their kitchen table had its drawbacks. Virtual meetings require acoustic privacy for everyone’s sanity. New homes with dedicated work-from-home spaces offer a lifestyle solution that many buyers desire.
The next post-pandemic shift was how we shopped. Online shopping has more than tripled since the pandemic. Many discovered that online shopping meant not fighting traffic to go to the mall, the grocery store, or even their favorite restaurants. But leaving a multitude of deliveries at the front door isn’t always safe from porch pirates, and having your groceries left outside in the heat isn’t sustainable. Including a parcel delivery vestibule solves both of those issues by adding a second front door and creating conditioned space for goods to be delivered out of sight and out of the elements.
Family-Friendly Features
What can we do to make the family buyer’s life easier? How about adding a family-friendly compartmented bath that allows three kids to get ready for bed or school at the same time? This includes a room with dual vanities, so two can brush their teeth, and a private wet area with a toilet and tub/shower so that the third child can shower. Just maybe, with this feature, homeowners can get their kids to school on time with less stress.
How about the family pet? For many, their pets are family members, too—though they can be a lot of work. Can we lessen that burden? Pet-friendly features might be as simple as a dedicated place for the pet’s food, located away from high-traffic areas, because no one likes to clean up spills. How about adding a convenient way to fill up the water bowl? A dog with separation anxiety might need to stay in a crate during the day, but who wants a big dog crate in their family room? Capturing the space under the stairs is a brilliant way to keep the crate out of sight and the house free from the mess a stressed-out dog can make. What about a place to bathe your pets? Adding a dog shower in the garage with a handheld showerhead makes bathing your dog easy and lets it shake off excess water without making the inside of your home a mess.
Rejuvenating Features
Selling convenience is all about making their lives easier, but what else could our houses do for our buyers? Can our houses improve our health? Adding biophilic features and access to nature has been shown to reduce stress and hypertension. Can we improve our buyers’ ability to sleep by blocking unwanted sounds with insulation and room-darkening shades? How about adding a discrete extra room for the empty nester who lives with a snoring partner?
We can’t overlook the importance of clean air and water. What can you offer your buyers that they didn’t know they needed? How about dust and humidity control to prevent mold growth inside the home? Perhaps you can introduce them to circadian lighting—programmable lighting that mimics the color of sunlight. This means bright, cool light to invigorate them during the day and warmer light in the evening to prepare them for sleep.
What about health and wellness features that also rejuvenate them? An excellent shower can both wake them up at the start of the day and relax them at the end. Why not add a pebble floor in the shower so buyers can have their feet massaged while showering? A soaking tub isn’t just luxurious; it can also help relax your buyers and soothe their aches and pains. Lastly, consider how heated floors and towel bars can contribute to the at-home health spa experience.
New homes today likely include a multitude of features that could make prospective buyers’ lives easier, more convenient, healthier, and even more joyful. So instead of selling the house, sell the effect of a well-designed house that will make buyers’ lives better.
