Cutting Edge Technology Helps Sell High End Homes
Are you thinking about putting your home on the market with digital upgrades? Much of Northern Virginia is competitive today, especially if you want to sell quickly at the top of the market. Have you thought about adding tech to your home? Believe it or not, smart homes and other tech upgrades can be more valuable to you, as a home seller, than painting those walls or trimming back those overgrown trees (though you probably should do that, too!)
Technology Matters to Home Buyers
Upgrading matters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its 2015 National Center for Health Statistics report that sheds some light on just how in-demand technology is. For example, 47 percent of homes in the United States in June of 2015 lacked a landline, an increase of 3.4 percent from the same timeframe in 2014 and a more than 30 percent increase from 2010. Instead, homeowners are focusing on wireless-only solutions. Upgrading your home to be mobile, wireless, and tech-ready could be an excellent selling point, especially in the digital, always-on-the-go climate of Northern Virginia.
But, don’t make the mistake some make in believing adding or modifying tech is expensive or hard to do. Simple changes, most of which cost little, can add significant buyer interest to your home.
How to Make Your Home Digitally Attractive to Home Buyers
How do you do it? It may be easier than you think. Consider these upgrades, modifications, and changes that can make a big difference to home buyers today.
Improve Wi-Fi Connectivity
As you are walking around a home you plan to buy, you encounter an area where there’s just no Internet connectivity. That’s a turnoff. You can improve this situation and eliminate areas of poor connection with the installation of a higher quality or more expansive Wi-Fi router. Most cost under $200 and take minutes to install. Or, if you already have a good Wi-Fi router, add an extender. These are even less expensive, often under $60, and just extend your signal further. Don’t forget, people love to sit on their deck or in their backyard and browse the Internet. Ensure your reach spans your yard.
Digitally Enhance Your Thermostat
A digital thermostat or other types of smart climate control options are a fantastic addition. There are new products on the market that offer a virtual plug-and-play design, too, meaning they are very easy to install. These work very simply. For example, one of the hottest products on the market today is Nest. There’s no programming involved. Install it and it connects to your Wi-Fi on your phone, digitally updating or changing your home’s thermostat when you are on your way. Leaving? Nest will automatically work to reduce your home’s temperature to save you money. It only costs about $250 to install and can be a nice boost in your bottom line. Other products exist as well including Honeywell’s HON device.
Smart Security
There are various ways to improve the security of your home and technology can help. For lighting, invest in solar technology. And, choose an upscale version of motion detectors for around your home’s doors and windows. Then, consider your locks. By using a smart device that unlocks your doors from your cell phone, you don’t have to worry about leaving spare keys around so your teenager can get in the home. Smart doorbells provide you with a way to see who is at the door long before you have to approach it and open it. And, no one knows if you are home or really just connecting across the country from your mobile device.
Energy Efficient Matters
Start with proper lighting. New technology, such as products from Belkin (WeMo) and Phillips (Hue) provide you with a way to keep lights off when not in use but also can shut down appliances to save on electric use. Look for upgrades and modifications to your home’s heating and cooling as well.
When you install these types of smart technology, you give buyers the impression that you’ve taken good care of your home, it is updated, it is very modern, and it is a better choice for them. Ultimately, today’s buyers are tech savvy and, in some cases, expecting upgrades like these.
