Sell Your House Fast in Boise by Marketing to Out-of-State Buyers

Boise, Idaho, has long been known as a hidden gem by locals. Here, the weather’s nice, the risk of natural disaster is relatively low, and you can get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to buying a home.

But the secret’s out — buyers, particularly from the West Coast states, are coming to Boise in droves. Boise saw 27.5% more people moving in from California and 21.5% more people moving from Washington in 2020 than in 2019. The number of people moving to Idaho in general increased 21% the same year.

Consequently, if you’re looking to sell your home fast in Boise, there’s never been a better time. The median sale price has increased nearly 40% over the last year. Compared to 300 cities across the U.S., Boise has seen the highest growth in the price of homes for sale in the past year.

The market is in your favor if you need to sell your house fast in Boise. But if you follow these expert tips, you’ll sell your home even faster at a higher sale price.

1. Market your home online to out of area buyers

According to local real estate agent Jessica Durham, many Boise buyers currently live out of the area. That makes it all the more crucial to craft a compelling property listing and market your home online.

“A large portion of our buying audience is from other locations that we have to truly make sure that their home shows in the best light possible online and through all different marketing channels,” shares Durham, who’s sold 100% of her listings.

Showcase your home at its finest online with these tips:

• Host a virtual open house to give out of area buyers a personal tour of your home.
• Highlight the commute time to the city center in the listing description.
• Share photos of your home’s outdoor spaces staged for entertaining on social media.
• Include photos of smaller details like closet space and trim in the listing.

2. Update your home to compete with new builds

Many homebuyers are interested in the Boise area, particularly Kuna, because of the availability of new construction homes.

“Kuna is one of the areas where there’s still a lot of space, and so there is a ton of new development happening,” Durham comments. Nearly 6,500 new homes were built in Boise in 2019 alone.

If you want to sell your home fast in Boise, you’ll need to spruce it up to compete with newer properties featuring the latest finishes. Durham recommends opting for contemporary styling unless you own a craftsman home — in which case, you can lean into an earthy color palette.

Upgrade your interior with these steps to draw in buyers:

• Replace brass hardware and fixtures with contemporary matte black pieces.
• Paint the walls a crisp white or light gray shade like Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams or Abalone by Benjamin Moore.
• Replace old carpet with wood-look vinyl plank flooring.
• Hire a professional stager to give your home the updated look that buyers crave.

3. Show off your square footage

Durham shares that buyers from cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland are attracted to Boise because the properties are larger and more affordable than those in these West Coast cities.

“Our lots, our parcels are larger than what the norm is in most of those western markets, so you’re getting a little bit more space,” she notes.

To show off your square footage, ruthlessly declutter your interior, including the garage and storage spaces like closets. The fewer items in your home, the larger it will appear in listing photos and in-person during showings. You can pack up seasonal items and other belongings you can live without for a few months and put them into storage until your home sells.

Need more motivation? According to HomeLight’s research, reducing clutter can add over $2,500 to your home’s value at resale.

4. Style an outdoor entertaining area with a cozy fire pit

Whether you’re selling a single-family home, a townhouse, or a condo, keep in mind that today’s buyers want outdoor space more than ever. As buyers relocate to Boise from areas like Los Angeles or Seattle, they want more space not just inside the home but outside of it, too.

Sell buyers on your outdoor space by staging an outdoor entertaining area fit for three-season use. Boise’s summer temperature ranges in the 80s and 90s in the day and drops swiftly to the 50s and 40s in the evenings. Design your space accordingly with a covered patio area and fabulous fire pit.

In HomeLight’s recent Top Agent Insights Report, 54% of surveyed real estate agents claimed a fire pit is the #1 outdoor upgrade homebuyers want to see in 2021. A National Association of Realtors survey reveals that a 10-foot in diameter natural stone gas fire pit will yield on average 67% ROI.

You can build a fire pit for around $700 or purchase a standing fire pit for close to $100.

5. Enhance landscaping with a fresh lawn and water feature

Fresh landscaping can boost a home’s curb appeal both in-person and online.

“At least in our area, more homeowners are putting money into landscaping than we’ve ever seen before,” shares Nick Louie of Modern Landscape and Concrete Design, a landscaping company based in Garden City that services Boise.

If it’s not in your budget to do a total outdoor revamp, one of the most impactful things to do is invest in a full lawn care service.

“Before homeowners sell, manicure and fertilize the yard, and make sure shrubs are alive and well,” Louie recommends. You can also install edging to create a visually attractive separation between your gardens, sidewalks, and lawn.

For an added touch, build a fountain or stone bed stream in the backyard. Louie says that Boise buyers can’t resist water features in their landscapes.

6. Invest in energy-efficient upgrades

Buyers in Boise want to know their home is easy on the environment. With all the beautiful landscape that Idaho offers, it makes sense that homeowners want to care for the land around them. You can appeal to buyers by investing in energy-efficient upgrades for your house.

“I feel like there’s been more of a movement over time toward green building and efficiency,” Durham observes.

You don’t have to add solar panels to the roof to make a sale. Here are a few energy-efficient upgrades you can make before listing:

• Replace your water heaters with a tankless model.
• Upgrade your kitchen with energy-efficient appliances.
• Install geothermal heating — popular in Boise, as it keeps utility costs low and is widely used across the city.

Header Image Source: (Bryce Boehler / Unsplash)