Selling historic homes is a truly unique experience. Every home has its story and is special to the people that pass through its walls, but there is something compelling about houses and homes that have been around for a long time. They not only exude charm and have special architectural features, but normally tell an incredible story.
Here are a few things we consider important factors when selling unique homes, with a special slice of history…
Make it about the story
Telling the story about a building’s history takes a certain type of property, and involves a lot of passion and yearning for something different. There is nothing like knowing the intimate detail about how the previous owners and occupiers lived their lives in the property.
Knowing that a family lived in the same house centuries ago, or that generations of families raised children as within those four walls, some of which may have even been notable members of society.
Everyone loves the ‘human interest’ associated with bricks and mortar and the more you can humanise a home, the more buyers will be hooked.
Emphasise the preservationÂ
Certain buyers of historic homes value the preservation and knowledge associated with retaining the history of these properties. For example, stained glass windows as part of a converted church or exposed beams as part of a converted warehouse or barn, make the difference and sympathetically highlight the most attractive elements of a historic home.
Physical anthropological details of history, matter, so if there is a former gin cellar, Georgian panelling that needs restoration, staircases that have been treaded in with the shape of old feet, anything that has relatable human history and can be witnessed as you walk around the home. Nothing is as exciting than touching the past, as hundreds of hands may have before…
Location doesn’t matter, looks do
Historic properties that are of a certain era, be it Victorian, Georgian or Tudor, were not built with modern day problems in mind such as schools, commuting and proximity to services. They were built to service a purpose, be it an Elizabethan ‘prodigy house’ or Victorian railway cottage, they were all built with a purpose in mind.
Amongst neighbourhoods all around the country and also in more rural areas, these properties are standalone. So if you want to attract the right buyer, you need to effectively dress or stage the property in a way that benefits the nuances and best bits of the home.
Imagine your home at its best, with your favourite furniture, clean lines, great natural light. This is how your property should ideally be marketed. Understated yet refined, exuding the most historical elements of your home is the key to an effective marketing campaign.
Understanding the nuances of selling unique and historic homes is something we specialise in, but no-one understands your unique historic home like you do. This is your trump card and can make all the difference.
A former water tower converted to residential, grade 2 listed. Sold in 2021.Â
