Prime Time to List a Bainbridge Island Vacation Home.

Before April 15th came and went, perhaps you and your accountant had one of those occasional chats about your assets and liabilities. If owning your vacation home on Bainbridge Island has resulted in more taxes or less financial gain than you’d planned for—or if you and your family just don’t use the place as often as you used to–this summer is a good time to consider selling. If you have lost some love for your extra house, but don’t want to go through the rigmarole of renting it out season-to-season, the selling alternative could be at hand.

 USA Today recently featured an article headlined, “How to Sell Vacation Property.” In it, author Jennifer Eblin pointed out, “Your real estate agent should understand that selling a vacation property is different from selling any other piece of property…and have intimate knowledge of the surrounding area.”

That kind of experience is doubly helpful when it comes from dealing with vacation homes similar to your own. If your home-away-from-home is in a condominium community, a Realtor® who is familiar with the community is most likely to have intimate knowledge of price points, selling points—and deal breakers that can sometimes make all the difference for your own sale.

Just as important as teaming with the right real estate agent is making sure the property is in top condition. Few Bainbridge Island vacation home buyers will be looking for a “fixer-upper”—so plan to spruce up the house before it goes on the market. Make small repairs, repaint dull or off-color walls, and depersonalize as much as possible. Picture what drew you to the property back when you bought it: present that same space and feeling to the new owners.

In almost every case, right about now is a highly favorable time to list a Bainbridge Island vacation home. This is the season when people are looking forward to the warmer months and wishing they had a great place of their own in which to enjoy them. With winter still fresh in people’s minds, a well-priced Bainbridge Island vacation home listing stands the best chance of drawing a crowd.

The bottom line is that selling a vacation home on Bainbridge Island is about selling an idea—whether it’s a rustic escape or a luxurious retreat from the daily grind. Make sure your property speaks that language, and I’ll be standing by--ready to do the rest!