Wants vs. Needs Buyers Looking For a New Home

When buyers are looking for a new home they have a list of wants vs. needs. We realize we may have what we need to live but want is what motivates us. When marketing a house it is important to focus on what a buyer wants, not just needs. By doing so it will give your clients what they are actually interested “in.”

Wants vs. Needs

Think about it, when you are in a store buying an item what makes you want to purchase it. Most likely you have a purse/computer/pair of shoes but something that you saw/heard or feel makes you want the item. Even though you don’t need the item. It may be considered a frivolous purchase,  but you purchase it anyway.

Creating the want within the need

When selling a house staging the house satisfies the want. Staging a house is marketing the product. Creating the want. The buyer has already stated their needs, and an agent shows them listings that satisfy those. Staging helps make the house speak to buyers wants. Some of the wants a professional stager concentrates when preparing a house are:

Ease– this is a powerful want. We want to make our life easier. More rooms, more space, does a buyer need a gourmet kitchen, or know how to use all the gadgets in it- no but we want those features.

Physical Comfort– we all love to feel good, it indulges our ego.

Does a buyer need a five-piece master bath En-Suite to get clean and take care of their personal needs? Not necessarily but they want a bathroom that feels like a place to distress, like a spa at the end of the day.  Staging can enhance that feeling that the buyer is seeking.

Mental Stimulation– we need to break the monotony in our lives, we like something that stimulates our minds and makes us think.

Will a house sell with dated décor and furniture, allow a buyer how they can live fanciful as they hope. Most likely not.  When buyers see a home that is outdated they are not as enamored as one that is updated. If you update the house with furniture and accessories that are current as seen in magazines and TV shows it stimulates their imagination to be able to live like that too. They want to live like that.

Social Acknowledgement– our perception of our self is based on how others perceive us.

Décor and furnishing, freshly painted walls and lots of light are what buyers want, it gives them a feeling of a house they can impress others with. Not one that has clutter, in need of repairs and walls, scuffed up it satisfies the needs but does not drive a buyer to the want.

When listing a house, need is important but the want is the driving force to make the commitment to buy. Before selling your house go through this checklist. See what areas you might be able to improve. If you are unsure reach out for a consultation.