Historic homes are one of a kind. They have a certain charm to them that modern houses just don’t possess. The walls hold so many stories that make the property incredibly valuable. But in order to entice buyers, you’ll need to do more than share some of those stories. Check out these four essential tips for selling a historic home.
Appreciate the Charm
Historic homes have certain elements that make them charming. These are the places you don’t want to change. You need to appreciate the charm and highlight these areas. Shine a light on the history of the home.
Future buyers shouldn’t walk in and only say, “It’s an old house.” It has so much more to offer. And you want buyers to see themselves within the walls. There’s a lot of information in the public records for these homes. Check the property records, newspaper archives, and census records. Share all this information with potential buyers.
Renovate With Delicacy
It’s hard to sell a historic home without going through a few renovations first. But the renovations shouldn’t destroy or strip away the beauty of the home. Look at it like applying makeup. The products highlight the best features of the face, not mask them.
Renovating a historic home needs to be strategic and delicate. Focus on structural areas mainly. Fixing foundation issues, replacing the roof, repairing the windows, and finishing the basement are all safe areas to focus on. Then, emphasize some of the classic areas with additional arched doorways or curved molding.
Protect With Easement
Because of the rarity and precious nature of historic homes, you must protect them with an easement. Maintaining the home’s charm isn’t an easy task, especially with the new renovations. Therefore, it’s wise to prevent new owners from making dramatic changes.
The legal agreement restricts future buyers from making any future renovations that could negatively impact the property’s historical value. Aside from protecting the home, you can also get some tax benefits, but the easement could lower the value of the home.
Know the Numbers
Finally, historic homes come with a lot of numbers associated with them. Buyers will be curious about all of them. They’ll want to know how old the house is, the year of renovations (old and current), the utility costs, and the contact information for the insurance agent.
All this information will help buyers determine if purchasing the home is worth it. Even with all the renovations and known history, sometimes it comes down to cost and the bottom line. Buyers want to ensure it’s a good and smart investment.
Selling a historic home can be hard. But following these four tips will help you get the ball rolling.
