Over the years, a few people have asked me if there is anything different about selling a home on a busy street.
Selling many homes is challenging, but some are more difficult than others.
Homes on busy streets are one type of home that takes extra finesse to unload for a great price. But don’t despair; it can be done.
From thirty-eight years as a top Realtor, you must take the appropriate steps and exercise patience. There are significantly fewer buyers that will accept living on a busy road. Demand must be considered whenever selling anything, especially real estate.
Follow some time-tested home selling tips. Above all else, price your home appropriately based on your location constraints. Unfortunately, you can’t change your home’s location but can price accordingly.
How to Sell a Home on a Busy Road
1. Have Realistic Expectations.
This advice applies to every home seller, not just you. It is prevalent for sellers to spend some time perusing the internet and looking at homes for sale. They get excited when they find homes that they think are similar to theirs and start to assume that they can ask for the same price.
Unfortunately, this kind of research can be misleading—especially if your home is on a busy street.
Realtors use a lot of different data points to determine the asking price of a home. In the case of your home, it is only reasonable to compare prices of similar homes in similar locations.
When you do, you will see that homes on busy streets tend to sell for around 10%-15% less than similar homes on quiet roads. Pricing the home accurately should be your top consideration.
This price adjustment reflects the perceived inconvenience of road noise and traffic. Work with a local real estate agent to evaluate recent sales of similar properties and set a competitive price that attracts buyers while acknowledging the location’s challenges.
The biggest mistake owners make when selling their property on a busy road is not understanding location differences. You can break location down into three types:
- A home located in a subdivision or neighborhood setting.
- A home located on a country road.
- A home situated on a busy highway.
Homeowners need to understand that an identical home situated in a subdivision will sell for more money than one on a busy street. A house in a neighborhood will almost always sell for more than one on a country road.
Why is this the case? The simple answer is housing demand. More home buyers will look for a home in a neighborhood than on a busy street. This is especially true if the buyer has young kids.
Buying a home on a busy road is a significant compromise for most people. Many buyers will go out of their way to pick the best neighborhood in town and compromise on the house.
Pricing a home accurately when located on a busy street is a critical part of the selling process! You don’t want online shoppers sitting at their computers thinking you are insane.
2. Put Some Work Into The Landscaping.
Potential buyers will see the busy street when they view the home. There is nothing you can do about that. However, you can make your home look more attractive by working on the exterior, mainly the landscaping.
Adding greenery, such as trees and shrubs, can significantly improve the appeal of your home. Not only do they enhance the aesthetic value, but they also help reduce traffic noise.
A tall line of trees or shrubs, 100 feet wide by 12 feet high, can reduce traffic noise by 10 to 15 decibels. This natural barrier can make your home more peaceful and attractive to potential buyers.
Make the harsh pavement and passing cars compete with a well-manicured lawn, pretty flowers, green shrubs, and plenty of mulch to fill the spaces. The lusher you can make the front of the home, the more welcoming it will appear to visitors.
Curb appeal becomes even more critical for houses located on busy streets. Having that WOW factor can soften the blow of the noisy traffic that continually buzzes by the house.
Another way to think of it is staging for the exterior of your house. Use these staging tips to make your home more salable.
3. Add Landscaping Features to Create a Barrier.
There are quite a few additions you can consider that will help to separate your home from the street. You can add a stone wall, a wooden fence, and shrubs to create a visual and sound barrier.
You can also add a water feature to combat the road noise and make the setting more peaceful.
One of the best ways of making a home on a busy street easier to sell is having a row of mature arborvitaes at the edge of the road where your property begins.
Arborvitaes create an excellent barrier that not only can help block the view of the street but dampen a bit of the sound as well.
4. Build a Fence.
A fence makes an excellent barrier with the road visually and keeps the noise out, but it also serves as a safety feature for many buyers. Security-minded buyers will appreciate having something between their home and a busy roadway.
Parents will like knowing that their children will be protected from the road and anyone on the sidewalk. Pet owners will be happy to let their furry friends out in the front without worrying that they will wander into the road.
The Do It Yourself Network has some great ideas for installing a fence.
5. Make The Backyard a Restful Escape.
No matter how much work you put into the front yard, it will still be evident that there is a road in front of the home.
The presence of the road will make the front yard less desirable than the backyard, so it stands to reason that the backyard will be where the new owners will spend most of their time outside the home.
The backyard is an area you can make appealing, a strong selling point for buyers. Take some time to plan out backyard improvements.
Get the yard landscaped with attractive flowers and shrubs. Set up some yard furniture so people can sit outside in comfort.
Perhaps add a hammock for pure relaxation. A water feature out back will be easier to appreciate than one out front.
Depending on the area you are selling in, adding some raised garden boxes can make the home appealing to a healthy percentage of buyers.
Consider how your target buyer will want to use the back and adapt your plans based on what you determine.
6. Install Noise-reducing Windows.
If you are building a home on a busy street, you might want to consider noise-reducing windows. Modern window technologies may surprise you with their ability to insulate against road noise.
Consider upgrading to noise-reducing windows and well-sealed doors. Double or triple-pane windows can provide a significant buffer against road noise, making the interior of your home quieter and more comfortable.
These upgrades not only improve the living experience but also make your home more attractive to buyers who are concerned about noise.
When selling on a well-traveled road, it might be worth having some literature on display highlighting these windows. It probably would not make sense for you to install them because of the return on investment unless your windows were ancient and in rigid shape.
7. Don’t Spend More Than You Can Make Back in The Sale.
All this talk of making improvements can get out of hand if you are not careful. You want to do what you can to attract buyers and avoid losing money in the deal. There is a fine line between improvements that will help you sell and improvements that will cost you money.
Talk to your agent about what you should and shouldn’t do to improve the home. You may be better off selling your home as is and just price accordingly. A local real estate expert should be able to advise you on what will work best for your situation.
8. Consider Selling as a Commercial Space.
When selling on a busy road, knowing your local zoning is essential. Quite often, homes located on heavily traveled roads are in commercial districts. Are there business-type properties near your house?
You may find that no matter your improvements, you still can’t attract a buyer willing to pay what you want for the house. If you run up against this obstacle, it may be necessary to look towards commercial buyers to get the deal you want.
Particular businesses are happy to take a residential home and make it into an office.
Others may want to combine the residential and commercial, living and working in the home. These commercial buyers will be glad to have space on a busy street. All that traffic is potential business, and that is a real value.
If the zoning allows, this could be a win-win for you.
Additionally, highlight this convenience in your marketing if your home is near a major thoroughfare, downtown area, or popular amenities.
Proximity to shops, restaurants, and entertainment can be a significant selling point for buyers who value accessibility and urban living. Position your home’s location as a perk rather than a drawback to attract the right audience.
Asking a real estate agent to check if your home could be worth more money due to commercial zoning is wise!Click To Tweet9. Hire a Realtor Who Knows How to Sell Your Home.
In the age of Zillow and other online resources, selling your own home has never been more appealing. However, the cost savings that seem so obvious can turn out to be a mirage when the rubber hits the road.
Selling a home can be challenging, no matter how desirable it is. A house on a busy street is usually more complicated.
If you want to sell your home, you need an agent who knows how to find a buyer for a home like yours—one who will pay the price you want for your home.
Yes, an agent must be paid a commission, which comes out of your profits. But an agent is more likely to get you a great offer, which can more than makeup for the cost of the commission.
An agent will also deal with all the hassles of the sale. Rest assured, there are always hassles when selling a home on a busy street.
When the real estate market is hot, you find more sellers willing to try their hand at selling for sale by owner.
What many don’t realize, however, is what they could be giving up! In strong seller markets, it is not uncommon at all to see bidding wars on homes. Many homes are selling significantly over asking prices because of how competitive it is for buyers. People are fighting over homes.
When you try to sell for sale by owner, you can kiss goodbye to your chances of getting multiple offers. The competitive advantage a top-shelf real estate agent brings to the table is enormous. To get multiple bids on your home, you need EXPOSURE – something you lack when going FSBO.
Focus on Hiring a Real Estate Agent With Killer Marketing!
Let’s face it: When selling on a busy road, you must pull out all the stops. Having a real estate agent with a killer marketing plan is key.
These are some of the things you should look for:
- An agent that has exceptional photography. This could be the most crucial aspect of marketing.
- A real estate agent who takes the time to write vivid descriptions of your home’s best attributes.
- Determine whether having some drone photography might be worth it.
- Avoid an agent who focuses on having an open house. Open houses are great for real estate agents. For sellers, they are a waste of time and can put a home at risk for theft.
- Find a real estate agent who will leverage social media.
- Look for a Realtor that consistently prices homes accurately from day one.
Final Recap
Homes on busy roads or abutting major highways are always more challenging to sell. Patience is the key to finding the right buyer to accept being on a well-traveled road. Don’t be stubborn, thinking your home is worth the same as the home in the most popular neighborhood in town.
About the Author: Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in his field, provided the above real estate information on how to sell a house on a busy street. Bill has expertise in mortgages, financing, moving, home improvement, and general real estate.
Learn more about Bill Gassett and the publications in which he has been featured. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. For the past 38+ years, Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge Massachusetts.
A lot of these a great tips on selling homes on not-so-busy streets as well. Thanks for this!
Great Tips! Interesting and Informative blog.