It’s a busy Saturday morning and you are rushing from street to suburb trying to cramp in as many open houses as possible so that you can find the best home for your family.
You get out of your car, and in front of you is a simple house: clean lawns, well-kept garden, and right behind, a beautifully presented home, the insides are renovated, and decorated, much like the 3 other properties you’ve been to earlier, and you walk through the mostly rented furniture and furnishings to and think… “yes, I think I can live here, just like I could possibly see myself living the the 3 previous homes.”
You then step into the backyard, and behold, a beautiful backyard, deck, and as a centrepiece, a beautiful Cubby House with a swing set all anchored into the ground.
You know that unlike the other home furnishings, these outdoor play equipment is here to stay with the house. It will be perfect for your child or children who will or will be growing up in this home.
You think, “This one is perfect!”
Anyone buying or selling a property these days know that the real valuation of a home is usually much less than the emotional value of the property. Houses are sold at much higher values then it should be (or in some cases get passed in at much lower values then expected) because a house is well-presented or some how able to appeal to the buyer’s emotional need in a new home.
The general consensus is that a home that is renovated or presented with obvious things like a beautiful garden or a well maintained deck or even a well kept shed, make a house more appealing and generally bring prices up.
I will qualify that there is no scientifically quantifiable statistic on how a shed or a well manicured lawn will bring up the value of a home. In the same vein, adding a cubby house to your property adds an aura of homeliness, and a child friendly home, which to a buyer looking for a family home, will make your property feel like a better buy. But that’s just common sense, and some psychology in marketing.
If you can sell something that will reduce or remove a buyer’s pain points, it will make it an easier sell, and many times the buyer will spend more money to buy it if they feel that their pain will be removed.
A Cubby House or outdoor play equipment that is well maintained, means that a mom or dad will know that a home will already come with entertainment for their children. They won’t need to buy and set up a cubby house or swing set from scratch while having to think about other works that they may have to do around the new home.
Plus a cubby house that compliments the general decor and garden makes it a more beautiful place to live in.
What is your experience? Have you bought a home that already had a cubby house or outdoor play equipment installed? Did it make you want the property more? Or have you sold your home with your Cubby House? Did you believe that it helped make your house more appealing to other families?