Tips for Selling a Home on a Corner Lot

Living on a corner evokes thoughts of traffic noise and lack of privacy. You may have had the same reservations before you bought the house on the corner lot-- until you walked inside and fell in love with the hardwood floors, the high ceilings, the spacious bedrooms, or even the crown molding. The point is, the house had features that appealed to you strongly enough for you to make it your home. Now that you want to sell, you must recognize the unique qualities and showcase them to potential buyers. Buyers need your help seeing past traffic and noise. Here are some tips about corner lots to help you.

Corner lots are bigger. That's right. Every potential homebuyer can appreciate a larger yard. Imagine room for the kids to play, for barbecues, for gardening, or even a gazebo for a nice place to relax.

Easier to add-on. Since corner lots are larger, it is easier to add-on to these houses. Adding on another room, a deck, or putting in a pool can be a tight squeeze otherwise. Additions add to the resale value of the house as well.

More parking. If the house sits on an intersection of streets with light traffic, residents and visitors will be able to park curbside. The corner lot has two curbs rather than the next-door neighbor who only has one!

Easy access. More parking means easy access for visitors. Also, corner lots often have a layout that sets the garage or carport behind the house. This allows the owner to park close to the backdoor. This makes entering the house easier during inclement weather, or even if you're just carrying in groceries.

Great visibility. Being located on the corner makes you visible to twice the traffic. Corner addresses are also easier for new visitors to find. This is ideal if the homebuyer runs a business from home.

Two faces to showcase. Two sides of the house on a corner lot are exposed. Prior owners probably took great care in making (at least) these sides presentable to the public. While the neighbors could get away with only landscaping the front yard, or only keeping the paint fresh on the front of the house, the owner of a corner house is compelled to do more. The result is two faces to showcase beautiful gardening, lawn care, or the new house color to the world.

Less neighbors. Living on the corner means (at least) one less side neighbor than everyone else on the block. The number of neighbors depends on the size of the lot and where the house sits on it.

Build a fence. Whether a privacy fence, chain link fence, or white picket fence, building one will establish a boundary between you and the world. Corner lots tend to be larger than regular lots, thus, a fence will deter a tempted pedestrian from walking across the lawn. Allowing greenery to grow along the fence will also provide privacy.

Windows. For privacy, the windows can be tinted so that the homeowner can see outside, but passersby cannot see in. Decorative shades or blinds are also an option. Installing double-paned windows reduces noise and helps with heating costs. You may already find one or more of these features in place when buying a corner home.

Staging. Staging a home is a poignant way of marketing it to potential buyers. Get rid of clutter and do household touch-ups where needed. Furniture can be used to clearly define a space. If you want to present a room as a dining room, take out everything that isn't normally found in a dining room (exercise bike, computer desk, etc.) and leave behind the relevant pieces like the table, chairs, and a china hutch. Accessorize where needed.

Price competitively. Over-priced homes can sit on the market for months and months. Study the local housing market to find out the going price for houses comparable to yours. Price your house in the same range.

Open House. Hold an open house to bring in buyer traffic. Pay attention to comments being made and decide if there is anything about the house that needs tweaking. One or two comments about the carpet may not be a big deal, but if it is strongly criticized by almost every buyer, it might be a good idea to spend money to take it out or replace it. Cross your fingers for an offer!

After the open house, you may receive offers that are too low to satisfy you. Do not panic. It is your decision whether or not you accept and you can wait for a better offer to come along. You may want to consult with a real estate agent at the beginning of this whole process to guide you along. There are also various TV shows that offer tips on staging a home. Hopefully, these tips have made selling your home less stressful!