It is not a requirement to have floor plans to close on a real estate sale. You also do not need to have photos or descriptions of the property to sell the house. Also, some property listings do not include floor plans either. It is, however, essential to include energy usage information and EPC services can do this for you. Back to the listing details though.
The truth of the matter, however, is that property pictures, floor plans and the property description are details that enable the buyer to make up their mind faster on whether to buy the property or not. The floor plans to a house on sale are just as important as the photos. Here is why:
1. Floor Plans Enable Buyers to Conceptualise the Property in Addition to the Pictures
Research carried out by Rightmove showed more than 33% of potential buyers are less likely to take interest in a property listing with no floor plans. Worse, 1 in every 5 potential buyers will completely overlook a property listing that is lacking floor plans.
Usually, sellers of a property rely on floor plans to pass on property details that are hard to express to potential buyers using photos and narrations only. Property features such as measurements of the space, the windows and positions of rooms are difficult to get across to a potential buyer without using floor plans.
Also, you will appreciate the ability of floor plans to display unique features such as knock-throughs and extensions that are key selling points for a property.
The role of high-quality property pictures in laying out the property as the perfect space for a buyer cannot be replaced nor overlooked. Wide-angle shots are particularly captivating because they invite the buyer to take-in as much relevant property information as possible. However, pictures can be misleading when it comes to representing the size of the space accurately.
From experience, you will meet many buyers who are disappointed when the property seems different from what they had envisaged from the photos. Floor plans help both parties avoid this problem because they present a better view of the entire property to potential tenants and buyers before visiting the property.
Floor plans are best used alongside pictures to help house hunters better understand the layout of the space and other property features. Floor plans show buyers how the rooms of the property are positioned and how they connect. Additionally, using floor plans, buyers can acquire a sense of the sizing for corridors and other common areas.
Floor plans will minimise instances where buyers experience letdown when they physically inspect the property before purchase.
Also, viewing of a property for sale or lease can be muddled up if space is occupied by tenants currently living in the space. Strange as it may seem, spaces with furniture and other cluttered stuff appear smaller than they are, especially if the rooms have been left untidy. A floor plan will depict the actual size and potential for each room in the property because floor plans do not include diagrams for furniture and home paraphernalia.
Market research by Rightmove suggests that potential buyers are interested in seeing the design of the rooms and how the rooms are arranged with the size and shape of the whole property. Additionally, potential buyers and tenants are interested in the dimensions of the rooms and other spaces of the property as presented in floor plans.
Floor plans, especially those detailing the position of doors and windows and room measurements, help potential tenants and buyers visualise where they will place their furniture or how they will use a certain space in the property. Floor plans will also help owners in decorating or making structural changes to their home to better serve their needs.
If the seller can get the buyer to mentally plan for the housing spaces with the help of floor plans, then the decision to buy the house is never that far away. Simply put, floor plans will help buyers close the sale deal easily.
2. Floor Plans Make Properties Memorable
It is important to help potential buyers picture how a property looks and retain details of the property even after they have gone home. It is common to receive positive signals from the buyers during property viewing but the buyers can easily ask “which property is that?” when they get home and you make a follow-up call on them. It is not a good sign if buyers cannot remember the property you intend to sell.
Remember that house hunters will have visited different properties with different features and it can be confusing for them to keep in mind all the property details of what they have seen. Including a floor plan is one of the best ways to help the buyers retain a good impression of the property after they leave for home.
Always remember that a layout with all necessary details will make the property easy to remember for the buyer.
3. A Professional Floor Plan Will Make You Look More Professional
You will have no option but to use floor plans if your competitors are using the same. However, you will have a great market advantage if they are not using them at all.