A lifestyle block comes with considerably more features and amenities than a normal residential house, so selling a lifestyle home will require more than a lick of paint on the letterbox and a tidy up inside (although that’s still a must-do).

The land around your home is just as important to buyers and it’s crucial that it’s appealing.

So if you’re ready to put up the ‘for sale’ sign out front, there’s a few things you need to have a think about. It’s best to have everything organised before you go to market, as it will enable your property’s selling campaign to hit the ground running, right out of the gate.

Know your buyer

When you know who is most likely to buy your lifestyle property, and their reason for doing so, you can ensure they see the best selling points of your home.

Whether it’s going to be a hobby farmer, a young family coming from an urban centre, or a retired couple after some peace and quiet, it’s important to understand what they are looking for. Once you have a handle on that, you can make the right adjustments to your property to ensure it meets their needs.

Consider staging your home

While a home isn’t the only selling point of a lifestyle block, as it’s more of a combination of the land and house, you still need to make it stand out. Most potential buyers will want to be able to just move in and get straight outside, knowing that they have a comfortable, warm house to relax in at the end of every day.

So if the house is an area you haven’t spent a lot of time keeping organised or updated, you could always have it staged with new furniture and furnishings. This will give it a refreshed look (without breaking the bank) and will enable people to see it as a cosy, cohesive space they can make their own.

Selling the right lifestyle

This comes back to knowing who you’re most likely to sell your lifestyle property to. And it’s about really taking it up a notch to showcase how your home and land is exactly what they are looking for.

Remember, it’s not just a home and block of land that they are buying. It’s a way of life. Think about how they can immediately see that your lifestyle property ticks all of their ‘must-have’ boxes, without them having to think too far outside the square. Potential buyers could be viewing lots of lifestyle properties, and you want yours to stand out and be memorable - for all the right reasons.

Carry out your own due diligence

To give people security and peace of mind when it comes to buying your lifestyle block, make sure everything is well maintained and anything that needs regular registrations or servicing is done. It’s also about health and safety too - are there things that need to be disposed of, or tidied up before someone hurts themselves?

If you can have all of these things in order before buyers come by, they can be rest assured that you’re a responsible owner who they can trust to purchase a property from.

Choose the right real estate professional

While the market has definitely slowed in the first few months of 2023, regions around New Zealand have seen different results when it comes to the sale of lifestyle properties. There’s certainly a challenge for vendors and buyers to understand what that means for the right price point, but that’s almost always a key consideration for rural and lifestyle homes.

So what’s crucial is working with a professional who understands the nuances of the lifestyle market, and can guide you through the selling process accordingly. Which is why we recommend meeting with around two to three agents, to gain insight into their sales approach and also where they see your property in the market. This will enable you to compare your options and also consider what will work best for your and your priorities.

Final tip: While it doesn’t directly affect the sale of your lifestyle property, it is important that you have a clear idea of where you’re heading to next. This will help you to remain motivated throughout the selling process, knowing you have an exciting next chapter to embark on, and ensuring you play an active role in getting your lifestyle block sold - for the right price.

If you’ve gone through the steps above, or you think you need a bit more guidance on the next steps for selling, reach out to your local PGG Wrightson Real Estate office today. Our team is experienced in selling lifestyle properties, right across New Zealand.