In preparation for our listing, there are 3 extra “tools” I will use to sell your home. These are letters and/or lists that I will be presenting to buyers as part of our printed marketing materials, as well as on the website. Please take a moment to look through the examples below and create your own version of each of these 3 items.
What you loved about living here
In preparation for our listing, will you write either a “love letter” about the home/neighborhood, or a “10 things you’ll miss” list. Email your completed piece to Brian. Don’t worry about creating a finalized format, as we’ll reformat it for each of the finished pieces of media & marketing. This will be used in both our physical and digital marketing.
Here’s an example of both options:
Letter
Written in your own words, this is a letter that is simply about how much you love and will miss this home and neighborhood.
This home and location have been special to us for the last 24 years! In 1998, we packed up our family and moved to the West Coast for a new adventure. We chose this house for its quality and character as well as its wonderful location on a tree-filled green belt within the Amherst neighborhood. We weren't disappointed!
Over the years we've renovated and updated almost every square inch of the home. Notably, this included a complete remodel of the kitchen and all three of the bathrooms. We enjoyed designing a large deck and patio that steps down in three gradual levels to take full advantage of the lovely, wooded location. We've added many beautiful flowering shrubs and perennial plants every summer creating our own private park-like oasis right outside the two sets of French doors added to the kitchen and dining room. We've enjoyed many meals on the deck with family and Friends. In addition, the Amherst neighborhood has been a friendly community with great neighbors and a caring well run homeowners association. There are summer events like outdoor movie nights and potluck dinners. Halloween is a night to look forward to with lots of costumed kids participating in trick-or-treating. The two landscaped entrances to Amherst along with the level sidewalks and streets throughout create a loop that is ideal for walking and biking.
Just across the street from the entrance to the neighborhood is the lush, well-maintained City of Bellevue Meadow Wood Park. It's an easy walk to the park with a fun tire swing and a large slide built into the hillside that is well used in the summer and a small hill that turns into a place for sledding during those special snow days. It's a nice spot for children learning to ride a bike or seniors practicing Tai Chi.
We hope you and your family will enjoy all the things that this special home and neighborhood have to offer!"
All our best,
Marissa and Jack
or, you can write a ”10 things list”
Not thrilled about writing? A simple list of 10 things you’ll miss with a personal reason why you loved it is just as good.
10 Things We Already Miss:
1. Taking full advantage of our double ovens, large kitchen, and the spacious living area to host parties and cook big meals for our family and friends.
2. Singing along to musicals and playing video games in the home theater.
3. Taking our toddler to the Green Lake Wading pool during the summer months and stopping at Zeek’s Pizza afterwards for a slice.
4. Helping our toddler learn to swim in our hot tub (you can turn the heat down!)
5. Reading a book in the backyard with just enough shade on a hot summer day.
6. Having both kids on the same floor as us made for easy late night cuddles whenever they were needed. :)
7. Strolling Phinney Ridge during the holidays and seeing all of the decorations - The neighbors go all out for Halloween & Christmas!
8. Visiting Woodland Park Zoo most weekends (walking distance and less than 5 minutes by car) to let the kids run around and say “hi” to all the animals. The zoo has a ton of fun events to enjoy, including WildLanterns.
9. The huge primary suite made it easy for me to fit my 80+ pairs of shoes and insane amount of clothes
10. Walking to seasonal beer and wine tasting events at the Phinney Neighborhood Association. The best community center in the best neighborhood! (Phinneycenter.org)
We hope you enjoy living here as much as we did!
The Newheiser Family
2. Welcome Home Letter
A second letter is a welcome home letter that I may also use for marketing. Let's list the tips and tricks of living day-to-day here. Think about your questions or what you had to learn about this home when you moved in. Such as:
Garbage days
Lawn/landscape watering schedule
Color codes used around the house
Light bulb types and kelvins used around the house
How to maintain/seal any counters or backsplashes
Who you like to use as a gardener or handyman
Where the water shut off is
Tips on ordering from your favorite eatery nearby
Anything else you'd like to communicate with the next owner!
Example “Welcome Home” Letter:
Welcome to 123 Boulevard Street!
We’ve put together some instructions for various things around the house. If there are any questions please contact __________.
Internet
The house is wired for CenturyLink and we have found their service to be very fast and reliable. The internet comes into the house in the master bedroom closet, in the box marked “Leviton” on the wall. The house is wired with Ethernet (Cat 5) but for the internet plugs to work throughout the house, they need to be plugged in from a router to the open slots in the Leviton box.
Smart Lights
All the lights in the house are Philips Hue Smart Lights and can be connected to the Phillips Hue app on a wireless network. The lights are all dimmable and programmable, and can easily be labeled, put into groups, and set up on automatic schedules in the app.
Smart Garage Door
The garage door is set up with Chamberlain and Liftmaster smart devices that connect to allow you to control the garage door with the MyQ app, and connect to a Home app and voice assistant (Google, Siri).
ADT Security
We never used ADT, it was installed by the owners before us, but we left everything in place so it should be easy to re-activate if you want, by contacting ADT.
Neighbors
The neighbors that share a wall and sidewalk entry are Rick and Violet. They are really nice.
Garbage & Recycling
Garbage and food/yard waste bin pick up is on Thursdays, most people put their bins out (by the retaining wall) Wednesday evening. Recycling pick up is every other Tuesday, the next one is April 26. The printed schedule is on the wall in the garage by the workbench next to the garage door.
Sincerely,
The Stewarts
3. List of Improvements
If you made any improvements during your ownership, please list them out with when it was completed. It can be as simple as a new fridge in 2024, entire bathroom renovation, or an entire basement remodel.
Here’s Two Examples:
1. Table of invested cost & associated projects
2. List of spaces & associated projects
123 Cherry St
Home Updates & Improvements
WHOLE HOME
Replaced flooring - hardwoods on the main and carpet upstairs & in basement (2018)
Repainted home exterior (2020)
Repainted home interior (2018-2021)
KITCHEN
Completed kitchen remodel - new cabinets, counters, backsplash, good and microwave (2018)
New refrigerator (2020)
2 inch mitered edge quartz countertops (2018)
Expanded kitchen to add on peninsula and extra large island (2018)
Redid all electrical to optimize lighting for the new space (2018)
LIVING ROOM
Removed interior walls to create large, open living space (2018)
Redid all electrical to optimize lighting for the new space (2018)
Added coat closet for more storage space (2018)
Added wooden blinds to windows (2012)
UPSTAIRS HALLWAY
Custom built-in added for more storage (2021)
BEDROOMS
Added fans in all upstairs bedrooms (2015-2021)
Added wooden blinds to primary suite and blackout shades in all others (2012-2021)
BACKYARD
Installed paved area for outdoor dining & hangout space (2020)
Added 6-seater hot tub (2011)
Added play space with custom-built playset (2020)
BASEMENT
Added tiered movie-style seating, surround sound, projector and screen for home movie theater (2015)