How to Help Make Your Land Sell

Tips we present from time to time for informational purposes. Please consult your Attorney or tax adviser before proceeding in some cases. State laws vary.

It is unfortunate, but one of the most common phrases we hear from sellers is “I don’t want to do anything to the land, just sell it as is.” At that point we begin the education process, but sometimes to no avail. Some sellers are just determined to leave significant amounts of money on the table due to the lack of “curb appeal” displayed by their property.

When we are buying land for our personal accounts, we always try to negotiate immediate possession for “purposes of making improvements.” This catch-all phrase gives us the opportunity to get a head start on simple improvements such as rotor mowing and clearing brush. You must be able to get the Prospects on the property before they can make an informed decision to buy. Often the prime spots which would normally “close the deal” are grown up in briars and brush. In many husband and wife instances, only one partner wants to move out in the country. The husband may be trying harder than we are to sell his wife on rural living, but if she can’t see the creeks, views, and big trees, then neither he nor we will be successful.

You have to make prospects want to buy. It is quite common to see properties, that were marketed for many months, sell immediately after simply being rotor mowed. As a general rule, these improvements are tax deductible sales expenses. Relatively inexpensive efforts that return big dividends.